Judging Characters
by MsJML
Summary: AU. Lucky made a mistake several years ago. Now that Elizabeth is beginning to move on, can he win back her trust? What about her love? If not, can he at least convince her that her boyfriend is dangerous?
1. Prologue

_**General Disclaimer: I do not own Lucky Spencer, Elizabeth Webber, or any of the other General Hospital characters, landmarks, background, etc. I hold no delusions that I could be so lucky (no pun intended) as to fix the mess that is currently GH. I did create Andrew Haydn (much to my own dismay), Ryan Sutle, Rachel Heath, Emma Rosing, Caleb Smith**_**_, Gwen Salinger, and Elaina Newcomb._**

A/N: I feel honor-bound to tell you that Greg Vaughan's Lucky was the inspiration for this story as I desperately want to block out most of the mess that was Flucky and his aftermath. I will also tell you that I actually completed this story in late 2005, so I will have to complete some editing before posting the chapters. I like to believe that my writing has improved in the last 3 1/2 years, but I absolutely welcome your constructive criticism! *fingers crossed* Hopefully, I will be able to post some of my more recent work after finishing the upload of this story.

**Prologue**

When the phone rang, Lucky had just walked into the door of his apartment in Dallas, TX. The caller id identified his brother, and so despite his fatigue Lucky picked up the handset.

"Nik. What's going on?" Lucky asked, flopping down onto the secondhand couch in the almost empty living room. He had been living in this apartment for just about 4 years now but saw no need to change anything. It was really only a place to sleep between shifts anyway. The only wall decoration was a picture that Elizabeth had painted for him.

"How are things there little brother?" Nikolas answered, trying to make small talk for Emily's sake. She would ask later if Nikolas had talked with Lucky recently, and when he said yes, she would expect to hear details about all Lucky had been up to. Unfortunately, Nikolas had never been great with the small talk.

"Nikolas why did you call? We both know that Emily will call later on this week to check in and grill me on my living habits, which means that you called for a purpose. Just get to it already," Lucky replied. He chuckled, thinking of Nikolas shifting slightly back and forth in the leather chair that sat behind his desk in Wyndemere trying to decide how to word what he wanted to tell Lucky. Normally this meant that Emily had put Nikolas up to the phone call and would be standing over his shoulder trying to listen in on her husband and best friend's conversation.

"She didn't put me up to it," Nikolas said sensing Lucky's thoughts. "There has been a development I just think you need to know about."

The way Nik was posturing made Lucky's stomach drop. "Has something happened to Lulu? Dad?"

"No, no. They're all fine. Lulu misses her big brother but I think she understands. You do realize that I'm going to need helping beating those boys away soon," Nikolas paused, "but I've got off track, now I want you to hear me out completely before you respond, understand?"

"O...kay?"

"I know all the reasons you gave me for why you left. That you sticking around only caused her more pain. That you had to deal with that Sarah infatuation of yours. Whatever. It's been 4 years. You and I both know you are more in love with Elizabeth than ever and that you could easily be transferred back here. Now you're staying away because you are being too much of a coward. Well snap out of it and get back here."

Lucky opened his mouth to respond, but he knew Nikolas was right. He could have easily been transferred to the PCPD anytime in the last 2 years. He **was** still in love with Elizabeth. And he was being a coward because Lucky just wasn't sure that he could go back and face the betrayal and the hurt in her eyes that he had seen 4 years ago. His plan was to go back and hopefully win her over somehow. That was all he thought about. At the same time, though, he wasn't sure what he would do if he failed. If she couldn't trust him, love him anymore. And so he'd put it off. He was so caught up in his musing that he almost missed Nikolas' next words.

"Lucky, if you ever want a chance with her, this is it. If you don't come back now, she'll be Mrs. Andrew Haydn by the end of the year."


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: I wanted to let you know my timeline for this story. As they were 18 when the fire happened, I am assuming Lucky was 20 when he left town, and he's been gone for 4 years which makes both Lucky and Elizabeth 24 years old. Lulu is 8 (which is a slight change from the show's timeline).

**Chapter One**

It wouldn't take long to pack up. Although Lucky had been working for the police force and then the FBI in Dallas for almost four years now, he had not accumulated much. As he threw some suits and shirts into a bag, he paused long enough to think about how high his dry cleaning bill would be. Oh well. After moving to work with the FBI, he'd had to invest in something other than jeans and t-shirts. Lucky had been frustrated with how Helena had gotten off free and clear again for her crimes toward Elizabeth and himself. It had been this frustration that drove him into law enforcement. The fact that he had ended up in Dallas, well that was due to the fact that his money had run out in Dallas.

Because he was driven and passionate, with nothing else to occupy his time, Lucky had moved up quickly in the force, and when he'd been approached by the FBI district director a year ago, he'd gladly accepted the offer to become an agent. Even though he knew his Dad hated the idea, Lucky loved his job. It was the same adrenaline rush and quick thinking that he'd experienced from running with his parents growing up. Except this time, he wasn't running, and he was helping keep other people's loved ones safe. It was the perfect job for a child of Luke and Laura.

With his closet cleaned out quickly, Lucky thought about packing up the kitchen but nothing in there was worth anything. He ate out with his partner Ryan most of the time anyway. Ryan wouldn't like that Lucky was leaving, but he'd understand it. After a couple of months of badgering Lucky about his lack of a social life, Lucky told him about Elizabeth, how he'd messed up, how he still loved her. Now Ryan only badgered Lucky about why he hadn't returned to Port Charles and her. Thinking of Elizabeth, Lucky's eyes were drawn to the painting of Kelly's that she had painted for him. It was the only decoration in the living room. He would pack it up last. Unbidden, he pictured her looking up at him, her eyes shining with love, with complete trust. Lucky Spencer was a first class idiot. And he knew it.

The phone rang interrupting his thoughts. "Hello?"

"Mr. Spencer? This is Elaina Newcomb from The Blank Canvas. We just received a painting by the artist you are so fond of. I just thought I would let you know," she said quite formally.

"You close at 9, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Thanks Elaina, I'll be right down." Lucky grabbed his keys and headed out the door. It was a 15 minute drive to the art gallery tucked away on the outskirts of town. Usually he visited once or twice a month; this was the first time the shop manager had called him. That had to be a good sign, at least he hoped so.

He spotted Elaina the moment he walked in; she was hardly containing her excitement. "Lucky, this is her best yet. Wait until you see it," Elaina called out, leading him back to the storeroom. "The owner was here before, and I still couldn't resist calling you. Here it is." She stopped before a shrouded box. The moment Lucky saw it he knew it was time to go home. He was staring at a portrait of himself at age 18 painted not 9 months ago by one E. Webber.

_  
One week later  
Port Charles, New York _

After Nikolas had dropped the bomb about Elizabeth's boyfriend, soon to be fiancé, Lucky had asked Nikolas not to tell anyone that he was coming home. After securing Nik's promise, he abruptly hung up before calling his director and requesting a leave of absence and reassignment to local police work. Everything was simple after that. Now that he was back in Port Charles, Lucky realized that he really didn't have a plan. He had a job and a room above Kelly's, but no clue how he was going to get Elizabeth to fall in love with him again. To be honest, he had no clue how he was even going to handle all the inevitable reunions and required explanations he would be facing in the next 48 hours as word got around that Lucky Spencer had come home. Sometimes his habit of acting on behalf of someone he loved and thinking about it later worked in his favor. This probably wasn't one of those times.

Lucky had already checked in with Mac and knew his first shift would begin day after tomorrow. He'd also been by to see Leslie who'd told him that Lulu was at Kelly's which was why he had immediately headed over to the restaurant to catch up with his little sister. He spotted her sitting with Nikolas and Emily and had his hand on the door when he spotted the couple sitting in the corner. Even from the back, Lucky knew it was Elizabeth and froze. He wasn't ready to see her. The man leaned forward and kissed Elizabeth briefly and Lucky clenched his teeth. There was no way he could go in there now, not after seeing that. He had never been good at hiding his feelings, and as usual his tense posture and tightly clenched jaw would immediately give him away once he stepped inside. He turned to go.

As he did, the door opened and Lulu grabbed his hand. "Lucky!" She cried out, smiling up at him in sisterly adoration before launching herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you're home. I've missed you." Lucky hugged her back before she began talking again and leading him towards Nik and Emily oblivious to his discomfort. "Did you just get back into town? Did anyone know? Are you staying?" She paused, and Lucky noticed they'd gotten the attention of everyone in the small diner.

Elizabeth had not been able to tear her eyes off of him since she heard Lulu yell his name. She was trying to stop looking at him, but her heart wasn't cooperating with her mind. He looked different, stronger, more like the man she'd always known he'd become. And then he'd smiled at Lulu, and she knew he was the same because the dimpled smile was the same smile she'd loved for years now. Not even realizing that she was ignoring her boyfriend, Elizabeth unconsciously leaned closer to hear Lucky's answer when Lulu asked if he was staying. When he nodded an affirmative answer and glanced over in her direction, she stopped breathing momentarily before she was finally able to break her gaze away and looked into the very confused eyes of her boyfriend of six months, Andrew Haydn.

"That's _him_?" Andrew asked nodding over at the man who had moved to sit with Nikolas and Emily. "That's the guy who broke you heart and then disappeared for 4 years?" The distaste in his voice was hardly disguised.

"Drew..." Elizabeth began but stopped. He was right; Lucky wasn't only the man who'd saved her and loved her. She'd trusted him implicitly and then he'd lied to her. Betrayed her. The excitement and attraction began to fade away, and in their place rose up anger and hurt.

"Sorry Liz." Andrew apologized, apparently calm now. "You wanna get out of here? I've got some time before having to be back at work. We could take a walk in the park, maybe?" Elizabeth smiled and nodded. This was what she loved about Drew. This ability to never lose his cool. Lucky's emotions were always very apparent; Drew had control.

As she stood up, she glanced over toward Emily to wave goodbye and caught Lucky's gaze again. Drew had never looked at her like that though. She hurriedly walked away with Drew catching up outside the door. Why did she keep comparing Lucky to Drew? Lucky may have loved her deeper than Drew did, but he'd also hurt her more than Drew had the power to and that was the reason she was with Drew now.

Lucky stared after the couple. He couldn't decide which he wanted to do more: punch the guy or kiss her senseless.

"Ease up man," Nikolas cautioned.

"Huh?"

"Resist the urge to charge in Lucky," Emily explained, laying a hand on Lucky's arm. He began to unclench his fists. "How about we take a walk?" Emily suggested. "Besides somehow Lulu talked Nikolas into taking her shopping." Lucky chuckled and nodded.

Nikolas groaned dramatically. Lulu just grinned, hugging Lucky again. "I'm glad you're back Lucky," she whispered.

"Me too Munchkin. I love you." Lucky hugged her back, kissing her on the top of the head before watching her drag Nikolas out the door. "I was gone too long," he sighed.

"You're back now." Emily looped an arm through Lucky's. "Come on, let's go walk in the ...."

"By the docks." Lucky interrupted quickly steering Emily away from the park and in the opposite direction. "I know you too well Em. Save the meddling for a more crucial time," he said smiling.

"It's good to have you back," she said laughing.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"She's avoiding me," Lucky sighed as he sank down into a chair at Wyndemere.

"I think you are exaggerating. You've only been here a week."

"Come on Nikolas, she hasn't been to Kelly's, Eli's, or the park once in the last week. You can't tell me that's normal. If she wasn't avoiding Kelly's, maybe I would concede being extra-sensitive, but I'm not. Don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting a warm reception, but I didn't know that she still hated me enough that she couldn't be in the same space with me either."

"You need to be careful, or you're going to blow this Lucky. I know that when you want something you throw all your energy into that, but you have to be careful with Elizabeth. I don't know that she ever really recovered from what you did, and the best way to run her into Andrew's arms is be in her face all the time," Nikolas cautioned coming to sit down across from Lucky.

"I know and I hate that," Lucky paused and made eye contact with Nikolas. "I hate myself for it. It's true that I didn't feel the same when I came back, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love Elizabeth. She was still my soulmate. I did want to spend the rest of my life with her. I just didn't know how to make it the same, you know? Because we both were different. We weren't the same people we had been when she thought I died. I still can picture her face the day of the wedding; she looked up at me and there was no light in her eyes. And I did that, the man that was supposed to love and cherish her for the rest of their lives." Lucky took a calming breath and broke his gaze away from Nikolas staring at a distant spot on the wall. "And as if that wasn't bad enough, 6 months later, I get so frustrated with you, with the situation, that I get drunk one night and kiss her sister?!"

"Lucky..." Nikolas tried to interrupt.

"I don't blame you Nikolas. You and I settled our differences. We are fine. You're my brother." He shot Nikolas a sad smile. "It's my fault. After all she'd been through, the last thing she needed was the man she loved, that she trusted, betraying her. I know I don't deserve another shot with Elizabeth. But I want one." He looked over at Nikolas again solemnly. "I love her more than I ever have. I want a chance to love her like she deserves. I want to make her happy. And I wish I could say that it's enough if I know someone else can make her happy and I can just love her from a far, but I'm not that noble or that humble. No one can love her like I do. This Andrew guy doesn't know half as much about her mind and her heart, her past, to love her right. I have to know, I need to know that there is a chance she could forgive me, trust me, love me again. I have to try."

--------

"I've been avoiding him," Elizabeth sighed as she closed the door of her studio behind Emily.

"I've noticed."

"I don't know how I'll react when I do see him, and it's too awkward. I know in my head that I'm only putting off the inevitable, but that doesn't stop me from avoiding any place where he might possibly show up for any reason," Elizabeth rambled as she paced the space.

Emily sat down calmly in the corner. "Doesn't sound like you are taking him being back too well?"

"Did you know he was going to come back? For good, I mean? Why now? He didn't stay when his mom got sick or when you got sick. I half expected him to during your illness. I dreaded it but I expected it. Nothing major is going on now. Lulu is fine, right? There has been no change in Laura's condition in two years. Luke still comes and goes out of town at his own whim. So why come back now?"

"Why come back now when you were finally getting your bearings?" Emily inquired.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to deny it but decided to be honest and nodded instead. "I was finally feeling like maybe I could trust again. Maybe I could look at a guy and not see Lucky's face. I mean Andrew has been great. He's so patient and understanding. And now Lucky's back and it brings back all those old feelings."

"The bad feelings?"

"Yes. I do feel that same hurt and anger again. I feel stupid and naive for not seeing it sooner. I question my instincts. I've already starting to question Andrew's honesty, and Lucky's only been back a week. I'm a mess basically," Elizabeth said collapsing into a chair. She continued in a whisper, "But, I also remember that love, the desire to be with him all the time, to share everything with him, to just be in his presence. Basically I remember Lucky. How he saved me, slept on my floor when I was afraid of the dark, made me comfortable in my own skin again, encouraged my interest in painting, bought me my first paintbrush. I remember how much I loved him. How I thought nothing would ever be worse than believing that he was dead." She brushed a couple of tears away before laughing harshly. "Guess I was wrong about that, huh? It's worse knowing that he's alive and he wants someone else."

"Liz..." Emily interrupted.

"Why did he come back now? Hasn't this been hard enough?"

"You'd have to ask him that question. It's not my place to say," Emily reluctantly answered. It would do Elizabeth no good to hear why Lucky came back from her; he would need to tell her himself. The phone rang, and Elizabeth sighed before picking it up.

"Hello?... Hi Drew."

--------

"What can you tell me about this Andrew guy?" Lucky asked trying to conceal his jealousy.

"You'd better work on masking your dislike of him better than that," Nikolas chuckled. "I know he's 26. He works for the public relations department of the hospital. He plays guitar and sings in his spare time. He's slowly but persistently pursued Liz. Seems like a nice guy for someone who looks remarkably like you."

"I wasn't going to say it, but I'd noticed it as well."

"Yeah, don't let Emily tell you I said that. She thinks I'm seeing things." Nikolas paused. "Other than that, I honestly don't know that much about him. I'm sure Emily knows more; she and Liz still share most everything. It just about killed her to not be able to tell Liz that you were coming home."

"Thanks for that by the way. I didn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it, and I'll admit I didn't want to give her a chance to run away. Where is Em this afternoon?"

"I'll give you one guess."

Lucky nodded. "She's at Elizabeth's, of course."

--------

"I'll see you tonight then. Bye." Elizabeth hung up the phone and turned to look at Emily. "He knows something's up. How am I supposed to explain this? Well you see Drew, I have been rather distracted this week because I can't seem to stop thinking about how to avoid running into Lucky? I'm sure that'll go over real well. I have a feeling he doesn't have a very high opinion of Lucky as it is, no need to add to it. I don't want to be breaking up any fights between those two that's for sure."

"I wish I knew what to tell you. To be honest I expected we would spend this afternoon talking about how much you still hated Lucky. I'm feeling set off balance," Emily responded.

"I do hate him. He hurt me. I can't trust him. That much I know. It's just, that's not all. It's like even though I hate him, I'm inexplicably drawn to him as well. Does that make me a masochist?"

"I don't even know," Emily laughed. "I'm sorry Liz. I'm here if you need me." Elizabeth nodded. "But right now I need to go because if I don't, I'll have one unhappy Nikolas on my hands. I promised him I'd spend the evening doing whatever he wanted if he'd only attend that hospital charity function with me next week."

"It's fine. Go home to your husband. I'll talk to you later." Elizabeth's smile died the minute she closed the door behind Emily.

The charity function.

She'd completely forgotten about it; of course she and Drew would be attending. Would Lucky? Why had he come back now? She really had prepared herself for him returning when Laura experienced her breakdown. He'd looked so helpless, so devastated. She'd almost reached out to him. Almost. Thankfully, she'd pulled back in time. There had been moments she thought she felt him staring at her but concluded it was only her imagination. He hadn't stayed though.

She had expected him to stay when Emily got sick; she'd hated the idea but accepted it. But he hadn't. He'd taken his two weeks of vacation and sick time and reconciled with Nik, comforted Em, ignored her. No more four musketeers. Not that he was rude; he had simply sensed her discomfort and been distant himself. He left, and she'd breathed a sigh of relief.

Elizabeth had known that sooner or later Lucky would return to Port Charles. She just hadn't been prepared to see him last week without warning. She needed to figure out why she was struggling so much with this. She'd thought she had finally distanced herself enough from the pain and doubts to try again. Andrew had been so charming, patient, and understanding that she'd wanted to put the past behind her. She knew that what she had with Andrew wasn't the same as what she'd had with Lucky; that was one of the reasons she was comfortable with him. She'd found safety if not passion, affection and attraction if not love. It wasn't fair. She'd been moving on. She had stopped doubting herself. She had begun to trust Andrew. Then _he_ showed up. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that the only man she hated still made her heart skip a beat when he walked into a room.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**

The MetroCourt's ballroom was decorated lavishly. The candlelight garden theme worked surprisingly well inside Jax's new hotel. Emily had to admit Tracy and Jax had certainly pulled off a pleasing atmosphere for the charity dinner and dance to support the hospital. The perimeter of the room was filled with trees of different shapes and sizes, sheer chiffon, and white tree lights. Each table was also decorated with candles and flowers.

"I know we made fun of this whole garden inside idea of Tracy's, and now I have to eat my words," Nikolas whispered into her ear. Emily just giggled.

"Have you seen Lucky or Liz yet?"

"We just walked in the door," Nikolas replied drawing her towards one of the clusters of tables. "I am just going to say at the outset that you have to curb the matchmaking at least for tonight."

"Who? Me?" Emily retorted, batting her eyelashes at Nikolas.

"I'm serious Em. Tonight will be awkward enough for the three of them without you and I trying to butt in."

Elizabeth and Andrew walked up at the moment. "Hey you guys. Doesn't it look great in here?"

"We were just talking about that," Emily replied. "You look wonderful, Liz. Where did you find that dress?" Emily asked, drawing Elizabeth a step closer. The girls segued into discussing Elizabeth's cranberry strapless sheath.

"Andrew," Nikolas spoke nodding at Andrew. It wasn't that he didn't like Andrew. He just didn't have much to say to the guy.

"Nikolas," Andrew responded. "Honey? We'd better head to our table," he said laying a hand on Elizabeth's upper arm. As a member of the public relations team, he and Elizabeth were seated with the rest of the planning committee. Emily and Nikolas found their own high profile table slightly to the left and back of Elizabeth and Andrew's.

"Talk to you guys later," Elizabeth called back with a smile, following Andrew up to the head table. Emily turned towards Nikolas and that's when she noticed the figure standing in the shadows. Lucky started towards the couple.

"Well, aren't you lurking?"

"I happen to be working this evening, Mrs. Cassadine," Lucky formally replied, stepping forward in his tailored tux.

"Whatever for?" Emily asked.

"With all you rich people here tonight, Mac recommended it to the planning committee, and because of my experience with the FBI and this crazy town, evidently I seemed a good man to head up security," Lucky answered with a smug smile. "Besides this way I don't have to spend all evening trying to look interested in other people's conversations."

"This way you get to stare at Liz without making pleasant conversation?" Nikolas corrected.

Lucky just shot him a dirty look. "I'll talk to you later on tonight," he promised Emily before walking over to one of the other men discretely observing the people in the ballroom. After conferring briefly with Beaudry, Lucky went back to the shadows. If people continued dragging him aside to talk about where he'd been for the last 4 years, it would make it harder for him to do his job, so "lurking" as Emily had referred to it seemed like a good idea.

Plus, it did give him a good angle to observe Elizabeth for the evening. He'd noticed the proprietary hand Andrew had used to move Elizabeth where he'd wanted her earlier, the way he'd draped an arm around the back of her chair. To be fair, nothing was wrong with either action, but Lucky didn't appreciate them. He kept telling himself that he wasn't the most objective expert in this instance, besides he'd also noticed that everyone in the room greeted Andrew with ease. Lucky hadn't heard one bad word about Port Charles' newest resident since arriving back in town, surprising to say the least because of Lucky's past with Elizabeth. Everyone he'd talked to had nothing but glowing praise for Andrew. Lucky wasn't sure whether to be relieved or perturbed that Andrew seemed like a good guy.

Movement at the head table drew his attention back to Elizabeth. The couple had just stood to greet another man approaching them. After she spoke to the man, Andrew's arm snaked around Elizabeth's waist tightly pulling her closer to his body. Neither Elizabeth nor the man seemed to notice, but Lucky had been studying posture and body language for years and noticed a possessive hold when he saw one. Lucky's instincts had served him well in the past and right now they were telling him that Andrew was trouble. Perhaps keeping an eye on Andrew Haydn wasn't unjustified after all.

--------

The evening was winding down. The speeches had been delievered in a flawless manner, the dinner had been creative and appetizing, and couples were now filtering out of the ballroom. All in all, it had been a very quiet evening, and for that Lucky was grateful. He glanced over at Elizabeth again. Andrew had left the room with some other executives about 20 minutes ago, and Elizabeth patiently sat at the table waiting for her date to return. It was a shame because Elizabeth loved to dance. Without thinking about the consequences of such an act, Lucky found himself striding over and holding a hand out before her. "I know I'll be a pretty sorry partner, but you love this song and should be dancing to it. Join me?"

It was the first time she'd been close to Lucky all night. Elizabeth had noticed him earlier in the evening standing in the background. Looking up at him now, knowing why she should refuse, Elizabeth realized she wouldn't. She smiled and placed her hand in his.

Lucky tenderly drew her to her feet and into his arms. She closed her eyes, momentarily enjoying the familiar sensation of his arms and his cologne. Opening them again to look up at Lucky, she could only smile. Talking at this point might ruin the moment, and that was exactly what it was—simply a moment before she withdrew from his embrace and wrapped herself back up in her anger.

Lucky didn't intend to speak in fear that she would realize she didn't want to be dancing with him. The moment he'd asked her, Lucky realized his mistake. She hated him; why in the world would she agree to dance with him? And then she had agreed. Lucky knew he was probably dreaming, but at this point, he would take anytime he could get with Elizabeth, asleep or awake. Any minute now she would remember what a jerk he was and probably ream him but good.

What neither one of them counted on was Andrew reaching them first. He cleared his throat, standing beside the couple and causing them both to stop abruptly. Elizabeth took the situation into her own hands. "I know that you have both heard of each other, but I'm sure you haven't been actually introduced. Andrew, this is Lucky Spencer, and Lucky, this is my... Andrew Haydn."

Elizabeth had been on the verge of a rambling bent when she's realized there was no way to keep this introduction from being awkward. How do you introduce your ex-boyfriend, lover, fiancé to your current boyfriend and vice versa? Lucky noticed her dialogue picking up speed and smiled slightly before shifting his attention to the man who'd managed to firmly tuck Elizabeth into his side again.

Attempting a stilted smile, Andrew shook Lucky's hand almost harshly before letting go. He hadn't spoken to or taken his eyes off Lucky since walking up to the couple.

"Everyone has good things to say about you Andrew," Lucky broke the silence while grasping for politeness even though all he really wanted to do was clock the guy. Audrey called to Elizabeth from across the room.

"Andrew, I'll be right back," she said, detaching herself from Andrew's hold. "Lucky, goodnight." She added before walked over to her grandmother.

Andrew began to walk in the direction Elizabeth had taken, but turning back, he finally spoke, "Wish I could say everyone had good things to say about you as well Spencer."

Lucky counted to ten and concentrated on taking deep breaths before turning back towards one of the other cops there that evening. It wasn't just the part of him that was in love with Elizabeth that didn't like this guy, although that didn't mean he didn't trust that side of him. Lucky had spent a couple of years around criminals, and maybe because of this, he knew Andrew Haydn was dangerous. He would make it a priority to figure out how. Haydn wasn't going to hurt Elizabeth, Lucky wasn't about to allow it.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: The uploading madness continues…5 chapters in 24 hours! I can't keep this pace up, **but **do look for a new chapter on Monday!

**Chapter 4**

"Hey man, what's going on?"

"Nothing much Ry, How's Texas?" Lucky asked, pulling the keys out of his car and heading towards the police station.

"Hot. Dry. Same old thing," Ryan replied. "You're not really a chatter. What's going on?"

"I need to ask a favor of you," Lucky responded, pausing outside the station door. He had a hunch Andrew Haydn was no good, but there was no reason to broadcast that information. He would keep his suspicions to himself, for now.

"Yeah? So once again I'm asking, what's up?"

"I need you to run a check on someone for me. Unofficially."

"Any particular reason? Who do you want me to look into?" Ryan asked, and Lucky could hear him scrounging around for something to write with.

"Just a feeling I have. His name is Andrew Haydn. I would like a cursory check on him." Lucky nodded at one of the guys entering the station before concentrating on Ryan again.

"Andrew Haydn. Got it. I think I can start something first thing tomorrow morn.... Wait a minute. Isn't that the name of Elizabeth's boyfriend? Lucky. Why do you want me checking into her boyfriend?"

Lucky felt reprimanded by Ryan's tone, and he didn't like it too much. "Look, I know it sounds weird, but I have a bad feeling about the guy. I'd just like to discretely look into it. I won't make a big deal out of it. But I have to know for certain that he won't hurt her."

"Speaking of Elizabeth, how is she? I know you've seen her already."

"She's beautiful. The same. She danced with me the other night at a charity function. It blew me away that she even said yes. It was wonderful."

"Wow. I'm impressed. You evidently have more charm than even I've given you credit for; I thought for sure you wouldn't get the time of day from her for at least a month," Ryan answered chuckling to himself.

"Laugh it up. Listen I've got to go. My shift starts in 5 minutes," Lucky paused. "Let me know the minute you know anything, okay Ry?"

"Bye Lucky."

Lucky closed the phone and grabbed for the door handle. Today Mac had said something about meeting his new partner. Lucky tried to clear Elizabeth and his feelings for her from his mind; he needed to concentrate. This was not a job in which he could afford to be distracted. As he walked around the corner, he noticed Mac standing over his desk and gesturing to him.

"Lucky, I'd like you to meet your new partner," Mac said, before moving to the side. Lucky caught a glimpse of the cop before him and almost groaned. Evidently his penchant to attract trouble in droves hadn't diminished with his years away from Port Charles.

"Looks like today just got a lot more interesting," His new partner asserted before extending a hand with a smirk. Lucky returned the handshake.

"Well, I'll let the two of you get to know each other and discuss your new case. I'll be around if either of you have any questions," Mac stated before heading off to his office. Lucky sat down at his desk before speaking.

--------

Elizabeth absently searched for the phone. She'd been in the middle of a new painting when the phone started to ring. She knew she'd laid it down near her easel but evidently finding it was going to require all of her attention. Ah, there it was under a dirty rag beside the can of paint thinner. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth, Rachel. I have great news!" Rachel Heath was Elizabeth's agent. Three years ago, Rachel had spotted one of Elizabeth's paintings in a local art gallery and called her the next day. She was a great agent and a good friend. In the three years they had worked together, Elizabeth had started to experience some notoriety. Her paintings were featured in galleries around the country.

"I can't wait to hear," Elizabeth said swirling a paintbrush around in the nearby jar of water. "The Blank Canvas in Dallas, Texas, do you remember them?"

"Somewhat. They've been carrying my paintings for a while, right?"

"Yes. Well, they received your "Moments of Living" painting about two weeks ago." Elizabeth's breath slowed. That was her painting of Lucky. 9 months ago, she had decided that maybe she should do something cathartic to deal with her feelings. The portrait of Lucky surrounded by memories of their time together, a boxcar, a subway token, Kelly's, was the fruit of that catharsis. And to be honest, it had helped. She had been able to distance herself from that time and remember the good times without dwelling on why everything ended so horribly. "Elizabeth? You still there?"

"Yeah sorry. I was just thinking. What about it?"

"Well I called the gallery to see how your paintings were doing. The clerk told me that she sold that painting the day it arrived in their gallery."

"What?!" Elizabeth gasped. She'd known it was one of her better pieces but the same day?

"Crazy, I know. I pressed for some more details, and it turns out that one of their patrons consistently buys your paintings. When that piece arrived, he was called in to look at it. She said he took one look and bought it on the spot."

"Wow." Sometimes Elizabeth couldn't believe how quickly her career had taken off or that people seemed to relate to her art as well as she'd wanted them to.

"That's not even the half of it," Rachel continued. "Turns out that over the last 3 and a half years, he's bought more than 9 paintings. Evidently, he's quite a fan."

"9 paintings? 9 of MY paintings? Rachel that's more than 4000 dollars."

"I told you it was crazy. But anyway, I told them we would send them another piece to fill that hole in their collection." Elizabeth nodded and made a note to go through some of her finished works to pick one suitable to send the gallery. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

"Hey Rachel. You don't happen to know that collector's name, do you?" She didn't expect the name to be of anyone she knew. After all, she didn't know anybody in Texas. Rachel replied that she didn't know the guy's name. "Can you find out for me? I am intrigued by the idea of his liking my work that much. I'd like to contact him personally. Think the gallery can give you his information as well?"

"I'll see what I can do. Hey, switching topics, how have you been these last few weeks?" Rachel asked not so subtly.

"I'm doing a lot of avoiding him. Evidently he's back for good, so I guess I've just got to get used to him being here. Let me tell you though, I'm not going to pretend to be happy about it. My life was finally starting to make sense again and I don't want him messing things up for me."

"I can understand that. You'll get me a couple of paintings to send to The Blank Canvas, right?"

"I'll do it first thing in the morning," Elizabeth agreed. "Thanks for all you do, Rach."

"With you as a client? Piece of cake. Talk to you later, girl. Oh, and don't let him get under your skin too much."

Elizabeth just laughed. "Not a problem. Bye Rach." She picked back up her palette but found herself distracted. She was sure she didn't know anyone who lived in Texas. That meant that whoever had bought her Lucky portrait and the other paintings had understood her art, connected with her art. 9 paintings. Wow. She wouldn't mind meeting this guy. Elizabeth grabbed a new paintbrush. Rachel would get his name out of the gallery; gathering information was one of her strengths.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lucky did his best not to groan once Mac left. Why him? "Lucky Spencer."

"Lucky, huh? Is that a nickname? Gwen Salinger, by the way," she remarked, leaning over her desk slightly.

"It's my name. What's this case that Mac mentioned?"

"Not so fast. If my life is going to be in your hands, I think that means I should know a little more about you, and vice versa."

Of all the strikes that Lucky had built up against him right now, why had fate decided that an overzealous female partner was what he needed? Lucky had known she was going to be trouble from the moment he'd seen her and she'd given him a once over and smiled. Great. "What do you want to know?" He replied, flipping open the case file in front of him and hoping that they could soon get around to that topic.

"Everything. But I'll settle for why you're a cop here, how old you are, your family, oh, and whether you are married or not."

Short, simple, and all business was the only way Lucky was going to be able to handle his new partner. He knew well enough that he really couldn't afford to upset her. They would be working very closely together, and trust was essential; however, that didn't mean that he couldn't set the tone of the working relationship. "I grew up in Port Charles. 24. I have an older brother and younger sister here. And let's just say I'm not interested."

"We'll see," she smirked, getting up to go get a cup of coffee. Lucky noticed that most of the other guys couldn't help but stare. That was the problem; Gwen was evidently used to getting what and who she wanted, and she was attractive. Tall and slender with her blonde hair pulled back off her face, her eyes twinkled with a humor that couldn't help but attract notice. He looked back from the guys to her and noticed that she knew exactly what she was doing to most every guy in the room. Lucky groaned. Not only was he going to be fending off her advances, but likely he would end up having to fend off her ardent admirers as well. Why couldn't he have gotten another partner like Ryan? He had enough to mull over without having to add Gwen to the list.

He concentrated on the case in front of them. There had been an assault at the docks last night. A young woman was grabbed from behind and roughed up. The attacker had vanished moments later with the woman's purse after another person had come strolling up from the opposite direction. The victim was at GH. It sounded too much like Elizabeth's attack, and he tried to focus on the file in front of him. It was unfair to the victim to connect her with Elizabeth, and he certainly didn't want his past with Elizabeth to surface in front of Gwen. "Did Mac tell you anything else about the case?"

Gwen looked down at her own file. "Just that he thought you and I were the best suited to work on this case."

Lucky nodded and hoped she wouldn't ask him why. "Okay, then we head over to GH to talk to...Jamie Collins?"

"Let's go Spencer. I'm excited about seeing you in action."

He couldn't help it; the words just slipped out before he could stop them. "Are you always like this?"

She had been heading to the door but now turned to reply, "Only when I want something."

--------

Gratefully, the ride to the hospital was spent covering the basics concerning the case. Reaching the fourth floor, Lucky spotted Emily at the nurses' station. "Hey Em."

Emily turned and returned his smile. "Well Office Spencer, what can I do for you today?" She spotted Gwen standing a step behind and nodded at her.

"My partner and I have a couple of questions for Ms. Collins if she feels up to it?"

"I'll go check for you. Physically, she's doing well. Emotionally, well you know about that," Emily replied before heading around the corner.

"Is that her?"

Lucky turned to look at Gwen. "Huh?"

"The girl you are pining after?"

"That is my sister-in-law and childhood best friend, Emily Cassadine." Lucky chuckled.

"Good to know. Looks like the patient is up to seeing us; let's go Spencer." She said leading the way towards the rooms and past Emily who merely smiled at Lucky knowingly, which meant she expected a full report on his new partner later.

Gwen knocked on the door before entering Jamie Collins' room. "Ms. Collins, my name is Gwen Salinger; this is my partner, Officer Spencer. Can we talk to you about last evening?" Jamie nodded and smiled slightly. Emily was right. She was probably very bruised, but she'd suffered no broken bones or cuts. The only mark on her face was the discoloration around her jaw and cheek area where the attacker had obviously grabbed her in order to keep her from screaming. He could feel the anger rise up within him but quickly controlled it in order to appear completely at ease in the young woman's presence. Gwen pulled a chair over next to the hospital bed. "Tell me anything you want to about yesterday, start maybe at your afternoon," she suggested while comfortably situated in the chair.

Over the next 45 minutes, Lucky looked on in amazement. From the moment Gwen had sat down in the chair, she had related to Ms. Collins as a friend. She'd responded perfectly. It was only a matter of minutes before Jamie had forgotten that he was even in the room. She had calmly related her last 24 hours to Gwen without becoming upset. Gwen had gently drawn out everything they needed to know about the attack without Jamie knowing that was what she was doing. Lucky wondered if maybe he'd misjudged his new partner. She was a natural. With Gwen reassuring Jamie and finishing up the conversation, Lucky finished jotting down the notes he'd taken while the women were focused on each other.

"Jamie. I'm going to leave my card with you," Gwen stated, pulling a slip of paper out of her pocket and writing something on the back. "I've also put my home number on it. You can call me day or night if you want to talk. And not just about last night, okay?"

Jamie smiled and nodded, more at ease than when they'd entered the room. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I'll check back in with you later, but now I have to get chatterbox here out the door so you can get some rest," Gwen retorted, shooting her eyes over at Lucky. Jamie laughed a little at her comment and nodded at them before Gwen ushered Lucky out of the room. "You ready to head back to the station and start building a profile for this guy?" Gwen asked, walking towards the elevators.

"I'm sorry I think I'm still recovering from what you did in there. That was incredible."

"One of us had to step in, you sure didn't look ready to." Lucky opened his mouth to protest. "That's okay though, I'm sure we'll find out your talents soon enough." She winked and stepped into the elevator. And it was back again. Lucky had a feeling it was going to take him a while to get his bearings around this woman.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lucky was sitting in the gazebo waiting on Nikolas and Emily when he spotted Elizabeth slowly making her way through the park. He allowed himself a moment to look at her before identifying himself, "Hey."

She looked up, startled out of her thoughts before noticing him. "Lucky," she sighed and moved to continue on. He stood.

"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?" He could feel the nervousness begin to flood his body. She had not made eye contact when she spoke. This was the reception he'd expected and dreaded. He wasn't prepared for it.

"I'm on my way to meet Andrew at the MetroCourt," she answered, pausing slightly.

"Do you have a moment?" When he asked that, she turned to face him fully and made eye contact, her eyes full of impatience and frustration.

"What Lucky? Why do you want to talk to me?" Her tone was brittle and sent him reeling.

"Well..." Suddenly, he didn't know where to begin. She didn't speak; instead, she put her hands on her hips and waited silently. This was getting him nowhere quickly. "Would you meet me at Kelly's for coffee sometime?"

Her hands dropped to her sides, and the impatience in her eyes died. "What's the point?" She replied sadly and walked away. He sank down to the gazebo steps, dumbfounded. He had been so ... relieved when he'd returned, and she reacted to him positively. This, what had just happened, wasn't good. He had hoped that she would be approachable, but he'd expected her to be angry. He could handle an angry Elizabeth. But Elizabeth as she had just been–doubtful, untrusting, resigned.

He didn't know how to connect with her at all.

--------

Elizabeth maintained her composure until she turned the corner. She began trembling slightly after that. This morning she'd woken up from a horrible dream. In the dream, she had broken things off with Andrew and become friends with Lucky again only to have Sarah return to town and distract Lucky once more. The image she'd seen as she was waking up was of Lucky and Sarah kissing in the park oblivious to her presence. The dream had shaken her and reminded her of every reason she shouldn't want anything to do with Lucky Spencer. She had decided that the only way to separate her dream from reality was to make herself walk through the park to get to her lunch date with Andrew. She hadn't expected to run into Lucky. Even as she'd paused to answer Lucky's greeting, the feelings from her dream returned harshly. What was good about her and Lucky was in the past. Some of the happiest times in her life were spent with Lucky, but that didn't change the fact that he had lied to her. Often. It didn't change the fact that he had chosen her sister over her.

She took a few calming breaths to regain her control before entering the hotel and seeing Andrew. She attempted a smile when he came to greet her, but she knew he would notice that something wasn't right.

"Hey honey," he greeted her while kissing her briefly before guiding her over to a table.

"Hi." He held her chair out. "Thanks. How has your morning been?"

"Not too bad. No major fires to put out. Yours?" He asked, reaching across the table to take her hand.

"I didn't get much done, wasn't really in the mood to paint." She'd spent the whole morning working herself out of the funk she'd been in since getting out of bed.

"Something wrong?" Andrew asked, noting the tension in her face.

"No, not really. I ran into Lucky in the park. Just wasn't expecting him."

"What happened? Did he bother you?" Andrew asked protectiveness evident in his tone.

"No. I guess I just keep forgetting that he's back in town for good, you know?"

"Do you want me to talk to him? Tell him that you'd prefer he keep his distance?"

For a moment, Elizabeth considered the offer but decided against it. "No. I'm a big girl. It's okay, really." She squeezed his hand. "I appreciate the offer though. Thanks." After placing their order with the waiter, Elizabeth smiled and changed the topic. "So, when are you going to play for me again? It's been a couple of weeks."

Andrew laughed. "Well, I was thinking maybe I could be persuaded to pull out my guitar if you keep Saturday open for me. I don't have to work. I could pick you up after lunch, and we can go down to the beach for the afternoon. You can bring a sketchbook or paints. I'll bring my guitar, and we can spend a lazy afternoon together. How does that sound to you?"

Elizabeth smiled. "That sounds absolutely perfect."

"I thought you might like it. So tell me have you heard from Rachel lately?"

"Actually, yes. She called a couple of days ago. Evidently, there is a gallery in Dallas that consistently sells my work, so Rachel is renegotiating our agreement with them to see if they'll feature more of my work than the three they currently have."

"Elizabeth, that's great!" Andrew congratulated her. "It's good to know that other people are beginning to understand and appreciate your talent as much as I do."

"Have I told you lately how happy it makes me that you understand this part of my life?" Elizabeth asked.

"Mission accomplished then. I love to see you happy." He replied, leaning over to kiss her. Elizabeth sighed. She could feel the stress of this morning fading away. She was happy here with Drew. Maybe having Lucky back in town wouldn't be too bad after all. She would get used to running into him. They could learn to coexist in Port Charles. Now that she was with Andrew the possibility of living in the same town as Lucky didn't seem as scary. "After lunch, do you want to walk through town and indulge in some ice cream before I have to be back at work?"

"Sounds like a good idea. Maybe doing that will put me in the mood to paint this afternoon," she answered, grimacing slightly. Sometimes painting for a living took the joy out of the job. Especially when she had to work herself into the right attitude to do it.

"Don't push it. You'll paint when you feel like it. There's no reason to force yourself into doing it. Besides you've painted a lot this month already, right?" Elizabeth nodded; he was right. It was only these last two weeks in which her days hadn't flowed as smoothly as she would've liked. "If you don't paint today, don't worry about it. Take the afternoon for yourself; do something else you enjoy."

This was why she liked Andrew so much. He always said what she needed to hear. "I could call Emily and see if she wants to do some shopping this afternoon."

"Maybe she will; because I'll be honest, that is not my idea of a fun afternoon. I'm always happy when you can do that with Emily and not drag me along," Andrew noted in a pitiful tone which only served to make her laugh.

"Duly noted. I'll give her a call after lunch."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Two days later_

Lucky was early for his meeting with Jamie and Gwen. He was waiting at the elevators when he noticed the man standing beside him. 'Great. Just what I needed today,' Lucky thought, catching himself before mumbling it aloud. Turning to the left, he confirmed that it was in fact Andrew Haydn.

"I need a word with you. If you've got a moment, I mean," Andrew stated condescendingly. Lucky grimly nodded, praying the elevator would reach his floor quickly. He leaned casually against the wall with his hands in his pockets waiting for Andrew to speak.

"Liz is happy. Things are going well for her now. I'm hoping you don't plan on ruining that for her."

Lucky stared at the man in front of him dumfounded. "I would never do anything to make Elizabeth unhappy."

The elevator doors opened, and Lucky sighed in relief. Correction, he almost sighed in relief. Andrew followed him in. "History seems to discredit that last sentence." Lucky began to interrupt. "All I am saying is that the Liz I met six months ago was an angry woman, and she's come a long way in that time. No thanks to you. And it is not fair for you to come back and ruin things."

"I have no intention of doing anything that would make things difficult for her," Lucky responded through clenched teeth. 'Stay rational. He has every reason not to like you. He's her boyfriend.' Lucky almost growled at that thought. Everything Andrew was saying was true. Lucky had hurt Elizabeth incredibly, and he lived with that guilt every day. He would spend the rest of his life atoning for the actions that led up to her being hurt, or at least trying to atone for those actions. However, he didn't appreciate anyone picking a fight with him.

"Look Spencer, I know you've got an agenda. I know that you came back for her, and it's not going to happen."

This time Lucky had to count to ten before replying. He told himself to stay calm. He wouldn't give Andrew the satisfaction of a defensive response. "I know Elizabeth, and if she doesn't want me around, she'll tell me. It doesn't matter to me that you think I have an agenda. What happens with Elizabeth and me stays between us. I won't discuss it with you or ask your forgiveness or explain myself to you. One other thing I know: you cannot tell me to stay away from her. That's never going to happen," Lucky asserted firmly as the elevator reached his floor.

The doors opened, and Lucky moved to exit when he heard Andrew coldly warn, "I won't say it again, Spencer."

Lucky kept on walking, but as the doors were shutting behind him, he turned and smirked at Andrew. "Good. Then we understand each other."

Meanwhile.....

Emily had been finishing up the last bit of her paperwork when Gwen walked up. "Emily, can I get a copy of Jamie Collins' records for our files? Here is her release form." Emily nodded and headed off for the copy machine.

Gwen stood at the nurses' station looking anxiously at her watch. When Lucky walked around the corner, Gwen threw her hands in the air and loudly proclaimed, "Oh Lucky, I'm so glad you are here. I just didn't know how I was going to do this interview without you. And what if you hadn't shown up? I would've been torn. Do I do this interview, or do I go and find my missing in action partner? What if something's happened to him?"

Lucky just chuckled and nodded at Emily, who was coming back with the records, before closing the space between him and the women. "Come on, Gwen, I'm only three minutes late."

"Okay, but since I want to break you of this habit, I think that you owe me dinner. Yes, I think you definitely owe me dinner at the MetroCourt. So after this interview, you will go home, shower, and put on something yummy. I'll do the same. That sounds like the start of a good evening to me."

"So, Em, is Jamie ready to see us?" Lucky asked, ignoring Gwen completely.

"I'll go check for you guys," Emily replied laughing at the pair.

Elizabeth had been flipping through a magazine waiting on Emily to finish her shift so they could go shopping when she heard someone call Lucky's name. She had moved to the back of the waiting area so as to avoid being spotted but quickly realized that Lucky was totally focused on the woman in front of him. For some reason, this fact didn't sit well with her. She was quickly getting angry at the woman. Who was she to throw herself at Lucky? And she **was **pretty blatantly throwing herself at him. He had more important things to do than deal with that woman, of this Elizabeth was sure. She hated women who were constantly inventing excuses to be around men.

Elizabeth was getting ready to intercede on Lucky's behalf when she noticed that he wasn't objecting. In fact, he seemed to know the woman. Was she a cop as well? Well, what if she was? Elizabeth had no reason to be upset. She had a wonderful boyfriend, and Lucky was no longer him. He had every reason to flirt with or be with any woman he wanted. She didn't know why she was upset about the interaction in front of her. She was happy with Andrew, and there was no reason Lucky couldn't ... wait, she'd told herself that already. Geez!

Elizabeth couldn't hear what the pair was saying, but she heard Lucky's laugh. Elizabeth's whole body stiffened. Why wasn't she moving over there to break in so he wouldn't look at that woman anymore? Elizabeth watched the woman sidle up closer to Lucky and loop her arm through one of his before leading him around the corner and out of Elizabeth's eyeline. She swallowed roughly. Emily was coming back around the corner at that time and spotted Elizabeth staring after the pair.

"That's Gwen Salinger. Lucky's new partner. He was placed with her earlier this week. She's..."

"Brazen," Elizabeth supplied.

Emily laughed. "I don't know that brazen would be the word to use. Overly friendly, maybe?"

"I don't like her." Emily just nodded in response. "Does he have to be her partner? Lucky can't be comfortable with her."

"I don't know. I think he's going to try working with her. He said she's really great when she's in a professional mode, that he's never seen anyone as good with a victim as she is. He was very impressed by her the other day. So anyway, I'm done. Are we going shopping now?" Emily asked.

Elizabeth didn't respond but did allow herself to be pulled up and towards the elevators even as she glanced back towards the patient rooms. Emily gave her a little nudge, and she followed her friend into the open elevator car.

"We are going to talk about what's going on with you later, right?" Emily pressed as the doors closed.

Elizabeth snapped out of it, focusing completely on Emily. "Nothing's going on with me."

"Sure, Liz, sure."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lucky wished he hadn't taken the day off today. Now he would spend all day remembering. Not that remembering was bad per se. This town was full of good memories, like the boxcar, Kelly's, Eli's, Mt. Hebron. But with those, came memories of a darkened park, a burnt out bike shop, and Jake's. All memories eventually led there. To the night that forever changed both of their lives.

He'd sobered up the moment his lips touched Sarah's and realized that it wasn't Elizabeth he was kissing. He'd known it was Sarah sitting across from him and listening to him. But at that moment, he realized he was kissing someone else, someone not Elizabeth, and it was wrong. He jerked himself away from Sarah and stumbled to his feet, turning in time to see _her_ standing there shell-shocked. He would never forget the way she'd looked at him.

He would never forgive himself for the way she'd looked at him. He'd hurt her immeasurably there and left only two weeks later. He had been able to deal with her anger, but not her self doubt or fear. He spent the next 6 months punishing himself for his sin, drowning willfully in guilt.

Until.

Until he spotted her painting. He would have known her work anywhere, even without the signature at the bottom right corner. He'd been passing by the gallery when he noticed it. Ten minutes later, he was carrying it out under his arm. An hour later, it was hanging in his living room. She'd painted that picture for him...before. It was a painting of a dimly lit Kelly's, as it had been during one of their private dinners. She'd finished it. Finished it and gave it up to be sold. It hurt, and yet, it pushed him into action.

The next morning, he'd decided to do something constructive with his self-loathing. He'd driven down to the Dallas Police Department and enrolled in academy. After that day, he'd made it a habit to look for her work in the small gallery near his home. And the paintings kept appearing. He'd done a little searching on the Internet and read everything he could on how she was accomplishing her dream. And she had. Her paintings were featured in galleries all over the country. She even had her own show in New York.

He'd wanted to go but instinctively knew that was a bad idea. So he'd stayed away and followed her career from a distance. He'd bought a second piece, then a third. These hung in his bedroom.

With his return due to Emily's cancer came the realization. He'd been so proud of her, of her work. The minute she'd walked into Emily's hospital room he'd moved to embrace her and tell her how excited he was for her. Her face had stopped him instantly. She was still angry. She wanted nothing to do with him. He'd understood, but it hurt nonetheless. He'd planned to stay more than two weeks for Emily. However, he found the longer he was around Elizabeth, the more he wanted to drop down to his knees and beg forgiveness. Kiss her senseless even. Sometimes the urge to do so could only be controlled by leaving abruptly. So at the end of the two weeks, he'd had a long talk with Emily and left.

He was in love with her. When had it happened? He couldn't pinpoint a moment. It was the culmination of many things–his sadness at messing up the best thing to ever happen to him, his pride at what she'd accomplished by herself, but mostly his ache over missing her. Thoughts of her had driven him to stay alive and sane throughout the ordeal with Helena. They did the same now.

He was more in love with her than he had ever been. He knew that he would never love anyone else the way he loved Elizabeth Webber. He didn't deserve to love her now. He didn't deserve to change the rules. He knew that. So, he'd determined to love her from afar ... no that was a lie.

His realization led to another: she hated him. It'd been his fear that kept him away first one year and then two. He couldn't handle being near her and not being able to hold her. If he returned to Port Charles and couldn't win her back, it would crush him permanently. Because she wouldn't change her mind later. He'd known he only had one chance, one shot, and that knowledge scared the hell out of him. It'd made him immobile for two years, loving her, keeping up with her from miles away, buying her art. He was still afraid. Of messing up, of losing her. However, Lucky had come to one final realization: the only thing scarier than trying to regain her love and failing was not trying and watching her love someone else for the rest of his life. Not trying meant forever wondering and questioning.

--------

Andrew paced his office. Liz hadn't wanted to meet him for lunch. She'd been distracted on the phone. To be honest, she'd been spacing out for the last month. Since **he'd** returned.

Andrew clenched his fist but resisted the urge to punch the wall. Someone would hear and come to investigate. He couldn't afford that. "Everything is okay; it has be ok. She may be distracted, but she still hates him, and you will make sure that continues. You've worked too hard to get her to lose your focus now."

Andrew hadn't planned on becoming attached to anyone when he'd come to town. The position of Vice President of Public Relations at General Hospital was a perfect next step for his resume. Besides, he'd needed a change in scenery. His dad had advised that it was too messy for him to stick around anyway. He had been in Port Charles only a week when he spotted her. The beautiful woman with angry eyes. Her demeanor told him to go away.

He'd always liked a challenge. It had taken three weeks for him to get her to agree to a date. And although the evening had gone well, it took him another week to get her to agree to a second evening. The more he got to know her, the more Andrew realized he wanted her. He'd learned to bide his time, and because of doing so, Elizabeth trusted him now. She would soon be his wife. Elizabeth Haydn–it had a pleasing sound to his ears.

Andrew chuckled, thinking about how livid Dad had been when he'd initially mentioned her. "I just got you out of one mess, Drew; I won't do it again," was his angry response. Andrew assured him that he'd learned from his mistakes. He knew when to hang back and when to push now. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. He'd put a lot of effort into this relationship. Nothing was going to happen to mess with that. She would be his wife; that was the plan. He knew how to charm just about anyone, and Elizabeth Webber was no exception. That was easy. His problem stemmed from walking the fine line between making Spencer keep his distance and unwisely antagonizing him.

He couldn't allow Lucky to reform his friendship, let alone his relationship with Liz. At the same time, he didn't need to make Lucky suspicious. Andrew knew that Lucky was still in love with Liz; if Lucky suspected Andrew of anything, he wouldn't rest until he drove Andrew out of town. Andrew couldn't let that happen. He would control his temper and continue to play the sympathetic boyfriend for a little longer. She would get over this distraction with Lucky and concentrate on him again. She would say yes when he asked her to marry him, and then she'd be his forever.

Nothing and no one would interfere with his plan now. If Lucky Spencer continued to be a problem, well, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: It's important to remember that "my" Lulu is 8 years old and not the very opinionated and ungrateful 20 year old Lulu is currently. But I'm not bitter…

**Chapter 9**

Lulu energetically pulled Lucky through the park. "You're dripping ice cream everywhere Munchkin," Lucky said, trying to feign reproof. It didn't work.

Lulu paused to humor her older brother by licking off the streams of bubblegum ice cream dripping down her cone. "Not anymore," she replied, lifting a blue tinted grin up to him. Her smile was contagious. "Now come on. We'll stop once we reach the swings."

Lucky gladly let himself be led around. He'd missed having this time with her. Being her big brother by doing anything he could to bring that smile to her face. She'd changed so much in the past couple of years, matured, which he should've expected. She was almost a teenager. That thought made him uneasy.

Lulu plopped down in a swing, bracelets jangling and cone held precariously as she began pumping her legs. Lucky smiled. She wasn't grown up yet. He swallowed the last of his ice cream, dragging his hands across his jeans before settling into the swing beside hers. He was glad that the past several years hadn't stolen more from Lulu; practically losing both her parents would've taken a toll on any child. Fortunately, she had Leslie, Bobbie, and Nik to ease some of that trauma. The guilt settled heavily in his gut. He'd tried to keep in touch as much as he could. He'd visited and sent surprises; it wouldn't ever be enough.

He'd had a hard time living without mom, and he was an adult. Separating his emotions from the reality of his mom's lack of memories had been wrenching. Lucky liked to think he'd handled it better than his dad, but it would most affect his sister's life. Lucky shrugged himself out of his melancholy thoughts. He was with Lulu now, and she deserved his undivided attention. "I bet I can go higher than you," he challenged childishly.

Lulu just laughed. "Not possible. I'm the best."

"Okay then." Lucky sat poised to push off. "Ready, set..."

"GO!" Lulu yelled, pushing off while interrupting him.

"You'll pay for that Lu," Lucky laughingly taunted. She was a true Spencer.

The contest was declared a tie after 20 minutes of good-natured bantering when the swing set seemed to protest unusually loudly at their eagerness. Lucky dramatically fell out of the swing and onto the ground, gasping for breath. "You're killing me Lulu. I can't keep up with the likes of you."

She just giggled and sat down beside him. "I'm really glad you're back, Lucky."

Lucky pulled her over and into a hug. "Me too. I've missed you."

Lulu settled down beside him, looking up at the clouds. "Could we come out here one night and look at the stars?" She asked cautiously.

"I think we can definitely do that," Lucky replied, squeezing her closer for a moment before letting go.

Lulu seemed to sense Lucky's mood. "You know what I like about you?"

Lucky's eyes shot over to his little sister who seemed to be in earnest thought. "Huh?"

"I like that you keep your promises to me." Lucky's heart lurched a little. "You always do what you say you will. You never missed my birthday when you were gone. You called me every week. You sent me all those cool letters," she paused as if she wasn't sure whether to continue. "I kept a list of everything you said we'd do once you came back.... We've done almost everything."

Lucky realized again just how important it was to Lulu to have something constant. She hadn't had much stability in the last several years.

"What's left?" He asked thoughtfully.

"The beach. I wanted to go to the beach."

Lucky grinned; that was easy. "Sounds like a great idea for our next date."

Lulu screwed up her face. "Eww! Don't use that word. A date with my brother? If you want a date, go ask Elizabeth." Lucky's grin died, and he stood up dusting himself off. Lulu jumped up also. Lucky opened his mouth to try and explain again why that wasn't an option when Elizabeth walked around the corner.

"Hi Elizabeth!" Lulu greeted her happily, not noticing the woman wouldn't make eye contact with her big brother.

"Hey Lulu. Lucky," she responded, nodding in his direction. "What are you guys up to today?"

"We're working down my list. You see I made a list of things that Lucky told me we would do when he came back. We're doing one a week. Today was number six: ice cream in the park. He lets me have more than Grandma," she paused for a breath. Both adults smiled at her explanation. "Next week, we're going to the beach. Do you want to come with us?!"

Both froze. Lucky recovered first. "I think Elizabeth probably is busy, Lu."

"But you could bring your painting stuff, and that way you could work while we were there. Wouldn't that be fun?" Lulu asked again, using her puppy dog eyes to her advantage. Her brother's eyes, Elizabeth thought. She almost gave in when Lulu spoke again. "Oh, I get it. Sorry Liz."

"What is it, honey?" Elizabeth asked. Lucky caught on a moment before Lulu began speaking again but couldn't think of how to change the topic fast enough.

"It's okay. Lucky explained it to me." Lucky closed his eyes in exasperation and fear. This couldn't be good.

"He explained what to you?" Elizabeth questioned, kneeling down to be on Lulu's level.

"I told Lucky that you'd been sad, and he said it was all his fault. He told me that he hurt you, and that's why you didn't come over anymore." She paused and looked up at her brother before focusing on Elizabeth again. "So I understand if you don't want to go to the beach with us. Sometimes when someone hurts me I don't want to do anything with them either." Lulu leaned in closer to Elizabeth's face. Lucky was torn between silencing his little sister which would wound her or continuing to see the hurt surface in the woman he loved. He didn't know which option was the better one at this point. Lulu continued, "He's really sorry Elizabeth. He misses you a lot. He talks about you all the time..."

"Lu, I think Elizabeth understands. You don't have to finish," Lucky interrupted as quickly but as nicely as he could manage at the moment.

"No, Lucky it's okay," Elizabeth replied. "Lulu, I actually do have busy days all next week; otherwise, I might go to the beach with you and...Lucky. You can just ask me another time, ok?" She couldn't turn this little girl down, and standing to meet the eyes of Lulu's big brother, she knew she couldn't turn him down either, not really. The pain in her eyes was mirrored in his as well. She could tell he didn't know whether to leave to make things easier on her or stay and talk with her.

Lucky forced some cheerfulness into his tone, "Well, we'd better let Elizabeth get going to wherever it was she was heading before we stopped her. Besides it about time to check in with Grandma."

Elizabeth nodded her thanks to him. "That's right, I have an appointment with a friend of mine. Guess I'd better get going to that. I'll see you two later, ok?"

"Ok, bye Elizabeth." Lulu said, impulsively hugging Elizabeth before watching her go.

"Bye Elizabeth," Lucky whispered reluctantly. His tone made her want to stay, but she wouldn't. She had a meeting with Rachel that she was now running late for. She nodded at them both one more time before turning and walking away from them.

Elizabeth smiled just thinking about her favorite brother and sister pair. They adored each other; that much was obvious. She missed them, in spite of herself. She missed seeing Lulu's eyes light up whenever Lucky surprised her. Evidently that much hadn't changed; he always knew what that little girl needed and made sure she got it, in one way or another. He was always good at keeping his promises even when it came at a price to him. He took care of the people he loved. That was one of the reasons she'd fallen so deeply for him. He'd wanted her to be happy, to have everything, regardless of what it cost him. She frowned. It was also the part of him that just about caused him to sign his life away to her when he didn't even love her. It was a part of him that she both loved and hated.

And yet, thinking back on the situation she'd just witnessed, she wondered. Lucky obviously kept his word to Lulu because of his love for her. It wasn't just about who he was; his loyalty and his love were interconnected. She had always thought that Lucky had planned on marrying her in spite of the fact that he didn't love her anymore. He'd said he still wanted to marry her because he did love her. She hadn't really believed him then.... Elizabeth shook her head, trying to think instead of what Rachel had wanted to talk to her about. Oh yes, Rachel had news from that gallery in Dallas. She couldn't wait to find out what; maybe that would take her mind off of Lucky for a little while.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Elizabeth slid into her chair at the MetroCourt waiting for Rachel to mention how late she was. Rachel didn't say a word; instead, she smiled knowingly at Elizabeth without a word.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"I was going to ask why you were late, but only one person could have you this flustered, and so I'm guessing he's the reason you're late."

"Drew didn't hold me up."

"I'm not talking about Andrew," Rachel replied, taking a sip of her water and sitting back in her chair calmly waiting for Elizabeth's explanation.

"What is this fixation you suddenly have with my ex-boyfriend? You do know I'm in a committed relationship with another man, right?"

"I don't have a fixation on Lucky; I believe that would be you. I know how much of him exists in your art. You don't include someone you don't care about in your paintings, which obviously means that he still means something to you." Rachel stopped, and her tone became more serious. "I'm sorry, if I push too hard about him. In the future, I'll try to do better, but you didn't answer my question."

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, he is the reason I'm late. I ran into him and his sister in the park. She was disappointed that I couldn't spend time with both of them."

"I'm sorry. You must miss his family as much as you do him sometimes, huh?"

"I do," Elizabeth said, picking up her menu to order. She had not planned on spending the afternoon discussing Lucky. She couldn't seem to get away from him anymore. If she didn't run into him, then somebody wanted to talk about him and how she was doing with him being back in town. She wanted to tell everyone that she'd be just fine if they'd stopped asking so many questions! "I do appreciate your concern Rach, but I don't want to talk about my past right now. However, I promise when I do feel in the mood, I'll give you a call. Can we talk about business instead?"

"Of course. That's what this lunch is for after all." Rachel smiled. "Well, I talked to the gallery in New York, and they would like two more paintings by the end of the month. Do you have something they would like?"

"They normally go for my more traditional work, right?" Rachel nodded at her. "Yes, I think I've got a couple of pieces in the studio right now. We could look at them after lunch if you'd like?"

"Have I told you that you're my favorite client? Sounds like a plan. I'll fax them first thing in the morning with the names of the pieces we'll send. Several of the other galleries were very complimentary about your work. New York was the only one that needed pieces."

All good news. Elizabeth liked to hear that the galleries wanted to continue to feature her; that was always a good sign. "Did you find anything out about the collector in Dallas?"

"Oh, I wanted to mention that to you. It's been strange. I called the gallery up the day after we talked and the manager wouldn't give me anything! She said that this man has been a good customer and a personal friend who prefers to keep his information private. I told her that all you wanted to do was contact him as a way of thanking him for buying your paintings, but she wasn't having any of it."

"Is that normal?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't think so, but I don't know for sure. So few artists actually contact collectors they don't know. I finally got her to agree to call him and ask him if she could give you his information. I spoke with her yesterday, and she said that she hadn't heard back from him yet. Sounds like a dead end to me. I'm sorry Elizabeth. I know you were excited at the prospect of meeting him."

"Do you think he's some old recluse or something? Seems weird." She frowned before resolving, "Don't stop calling. I want to know who this guy is. Before I just thought it would be a nice gesture to contact him, but now I want to know why he's buying up my paintings without wanting to tell anyone." Maybe if Rachel was very persistent she could get the manager to cave. Lunch arrived at that point, and conversation ceased long enough for the waiter to make sure they had everything they needed.

"Okay, so tell me more about this encounter with Lucky in the park," Rachel asked. Elizabeth groaned. Clearly, Rachel had planned to stop pushing for all of 30 minutes.

--------

Lucky pulled the cell out of his pocket midring. "Ry? Did you find something?"

"I'm good. Thanks for asking, and how are things in Port Charles?" Ryan replied.

"Sorry. I'm glad you are good. Things here are...okay, I guess. What can I do for you?" Lucky took a glance at his watch; he still had 15 minutes before his shift began. He settled back against the side of the station to listen.

"The switchboard put a lady through to our extension yesterday. An Elaina? She seemed a little upset that you didn't tell her you were moving, Lucky."

"Elaina's married you idiot. What did she want?"

"From what I can gather, Elizabeth's agent found out that someone in Dallas has been buying up her art and wants a name and address to give to her. Elaina told her that she couldn't give up that information without your consent. Evidently she had your work number in her files somewhere."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll give Elaina a call tomorrow I guess."

"Are you going to let her give Elizabeth your name?" Ryan asked, though he already knew the answer.

"No. I'd rather tell her myself. When the time is right."

"Which will be when exactly?" Ryan pressed.

Lucky growled a little under his breath. "I'll tell her when I feel like she's ready to hear it. How goes the search on Haydn?"

"Last name basis, huh? You must really not like this guy."

"He started it. I'm just returning the favor," He replied, keeping an eye out in case he needed to end the phone call before someone else heard.

"Well I hate to disappoint you Lucky, but the guy doesn't have so much as a parking ticket on his record. No red flags, whatsoever."

That news didn't make Lucky feel any better. There was something about Andrew Haydn that made him nervous. "This was just a cursory check, right?"

"Yeah. Why? Has he done something that makes you think he's not as above board as he seems?" Ryan asked. Lucky normally had good instincts when it came to people. He'd initially written Lucky's concern off as nothing more than an overprotectiveness towards someone he loved, but if Lucky was still suspicious of the guy after hearing that Ryan hadn't come up with anything, well, that was another thing entirely.

"I don't know what it is Ry. No one's had a bad word to say about him. I keep thinking that maybe I'm being paranoid about the interactions he and I've had. But I just have a bad feeling in my gut about this guy. I have to know that he's not a danger to her."

"I know. You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself for it if you didn't follow your gut," Ryan said while making a note to do a full-scale check on this guy and his background. "Lucky, I trust you, and if you think this guy may be trouble, then I know it's more than jealousy or envy talking."

"Thanks man. Do an in-depth scan on him, will you? Let me know the minute you know anything," Lucky said, grateful for his partner's support.

"Consider it done. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you're wrong just this once."

"No offense taken; I hope I'm wrong too," Lucky replied before closing the phone reluctantly and turning to head into the station.

"You should trust your instincts Spencer."


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: I didn't mean to wait this long to update, but last week went crazy! I'll be out of town this week, so you may not get another update until next Sunday, but it is coming!

**Chapter 11**

"You should trust your instincts, Spencer."

"Evidently, they're not all they're cracked up to be," Lucky replied.

"I haven't told you I'm especially good at sneaking?" Gwen playfully asked, throwing an arm around Lucky's shoulder as they walked into the station. They had settled into a comfortable relationship. He could joke and let her flirt; to be fair, she was great at her job. He just wasn't in the mood today. Lucky sat down at his desk while Gwen settled in across from him. He shouldn't have taken Ryan's call there. He knew better than that.

"Okay, so seriously, what was that phone call all about?"

Lucky shot her a look and opened his mouth to tell her it was none of her business when Mac suddenly appeared at their desks, "We're going to start rotating patrol duty for the next month until we aren't spread so thin. So today's your day. Take your radios with you in case we need you back here or vice versa." With his speech over, Mac walked back around the corner again. Lucky sighed and stood up, grabbing his badge and slipping it over his neck. Gwen was smiling like a cheshire cat.

"What?"

"This is a perfect opportunity to fill me in on that phone call of yours. Not to mention the girl you're so hung up on." Lucky bit back a groan. This was going to be a long day.

She had been bugging him for 15 minutes when they reached the docks. "Come on Spencer. You have to know I'm not going to quit, right?"

"I can certainly hope," he bit out, scanning the area for anything that wasn't normal.

She noticed his tightly clenched fists. She had evidently stumbled upon something that meant a lot to him. She ran back over whether she'd seen this reaction in him before. She had, once. "This is about Elizabeth Webber, isn't it?" She asked, venturing a guess.

Lucky's demeanor went from guarded to surprised in the span of several seconds. "How? What? How did you know that?"

"Well, you're obviously on edge about whatever it is that's going on and being very closed mouth about it which means that not only are you upset but that this situation is also something that means a lot to you." She paused to take a breath. "The only other time I've seen your eyes this stormy was last week when we ran into her and her boyfriend at Kelly's. I've never seen you get coffee from Mike and be back out the door so quick. And, this says nothing of the times I've noticed you looking around for someone or become totally involved in conversation once the Webber name is mentioned. Come on Lucky, you underestimate the power of a perceptive woman," she finished, daring him to deny it as they continued walking through the docks and alleys near Kelly's.

"I ... okay, yes my mood does have something to do with her," Lucky admitted.

"The phone call, also?" He nodded. Suddenly, her mood changed to concern. "You can tell me, you know? I may be a bit of a flirt," He laughed at that statement, and she sent him a glare. "But I am your friend Lucky. I know how to be discreet as well. Fill your partner in, okay?"

"Elizabeth and I were engaged awhile back."

"I know." Lucky shot her a shocked look at that statement. "You do realize how small Port Charles really is if you want information, right?" Gwen continued, "I listen to what's going on, but that's about all I know, well that, and she's obviously seeing someone else."

Lucky was grateful that he had the distraction of walking to keep this discussion from getting too serious. He didn't think he could handle a one-on-one, face-to-face conversation. "I won't get into our history. I messed it up. Things had been tough for awhile, but I killed the relationship when I got drunk one night and kissed her sister...."

"You did what?!" Gwen yelled. She opened her mouth to rant when Lucky spoke again.

"I know. Stupidest decision of my life. No excuse for it. Elizabeth saw the kiss and ran. I found her the next day sitting in the park angrier than I've ever seen her. She yelled and asked me how long I'd been sneaking around with her sister. I told her I wasn't. She yelled some more before telling me she wanted me out of her life. She couldn't stand to look at me. I understood that; I couldn't stand to look in the mirror, so I left town, moved to Dallas, enrolled in academy.

"But couldn't get over her," Gwen finished.

"Could you quit interrupting me?" Lucky huffed. Gwen shot him a look that said she was kinda ticked at him herself and not to push it. "To be honest, I didn't even try to get over her. I didn't want to forget–loving Elizabeth was, is, the best thing to ever happen to me. I came back because I love her, because I want to marry her."

"Did you know she was seeing someone when you decided to come back?" Gwen ventured cautiously. He nodded. "Lucky...."

"I didn't come back here to break them up, well, not really. I do want a chance with Elizabeth. But I am not the type of guy to intentionally break someone up. If I thought he would make her happy, I wouldn't get involved."

"You sound like you don't think that's possible."

"That's the problem. There is something about him that I don't like, something not quite real about him. And I know what you're going to say: that it's only because I want to be with her and I wouldn't like anyone she was involved with, which is probably true. I don't think anyone knows her like I do, can make her happy like I can. I just can't get rid of the feeling that Haydn's hiding something, something dangerous."

"I still say trust your instincts Lucky," Gwen said, as Lucky sighed in relief. "I may not have known you long, but I do know that you'll do anything for the people you love. Your instincts have led you well this far." She paused as if weighing her next words carefully. "My strength is my ability to make people feel comfortable and safe in the tensest of situations. Lucky, your ability to correctly assess a situation is your strength. I trust you; I trust your gut. Now, I'm not saying charge right in and accuse him of anything. I am saying you have my help if you need it."

"The phone call was from my friend in the FBI; he's doing a check on Haydn."

"Sounds like a good idea; that way you know what you're dealing with, if anything. I'm not saying he's trouble, you know that, right?"

"I know, and I hope he's not. But I can't chance that he might be. Thanks for understanding."

"See, I told you it wouldn't hurt to tell me! You should trust me more often Spenc," Gwen replied, smirking.

"Don't ever call me Spenc again," Lucky retorted before smiling slightly, grateful that Gwen knew their conversation needed to shift topics.

"Memo made; won't happen again Officer McHottie." Lucky groaned and began to reply when the radio crackled.

--------

Lucky had frozen when he heard the address over the radio, until he realized it wasn't Audrey Hardy's house but her neighbors. They were finishing up with the couple when he saw her standing at her front door looking worried. He shot a glance at Gwen before heading over in her direction. "Mrs. Hardy."

"Lucky, you're a grown man now, you can call me Audrey." Lucky smiled and nodded as she seemed to relax a little. "Are Eddie and Nicole okay?"

"They're fine. They thought somebody had broken into their house. But one of them hadn't shut the garage door and a stray cat got in and did some damage."

"And I'm guessing you got to be the brave person to remove the cat from the premises?" Audrey said, noticing his arms.

Lucky shrugged. "Someone had to; my arms have taken worse beatings."

"Come on inside, and I'll clean those for you." Lucky's eyes widened at her command. "Lucky, I was a nurse for a long time; come into my house."

"Yes ma'am." Lucky followed her inside and back to the kitchen. Audrey directed him to a chair before heading down the hall to get her first aid supplies.

"I heard you were back in town," Audrey said coming back into the room and sitting down across from Lucky. "I'm surprised it's taken me this long to see you."

Lucky held out one arm as she opened the bottle of peroxide. "Settling in has taken longer than I thought."

"You could've come by Lucky," Audrey replied calmly while motioning for him to give her his other arm.

"I didn't know if you'd want to see me," Lucky admitted reluctantly.

"Lucky, I've known you for a long time. You helped Elizabeth through the toughest period in her life. One mistake, stupid as it was, isn't enough to make me hate you."

Lucky was humbled. Elizabeth had always treasured her grandmother's love; Audrey felt the same. He'd assumed that meant she wanted nothing to do with him. "I'm sorry I hurt her." Lucky blurted out. He needed Audrey to know he regretted his past, to know that he never wanted to hurt her again.

Audrey smiled compassionately at the young man. "I know; anyone who looks in your eyes knows. You hurt Elizabeth deeply, and no one needs to remind you of that fact because you love her enough to know how much you hurt her. She was never happier than when she was with you. You rescued her from the darkest moment of her life. I will always be grateful to you for that."

Lucky could feel himself choking up and tried to push the tears back down. Talking with Audrey was suddenly like talking to his grandmother or his mom. He was vulnerable, transparent before her. "I want her to be happy.... I love her."

"Yes, I know you do. Tell me Lucky. What do you know now that will keep you from breaking her heart again?"

Lucky sighed. "I was avoiding all my problems. Not being honest with her and putting so much pressure on myself to be perfect, remember everything. I should have been honest with her; we should've been honest with each other and not put such pressure on ourselves. I did love her–just not in the same way. I've learned to face my problems head on now, honesty and all."

Audrey nodded, evidently convinced that Lucky never planned to make the same mistake again. "Thank you for sharing this with me." A knock sounded at the front door.

"That's my partner, I'm sure," Lucky said, reluctantly standing. Audrey pulled him into a brief hug before stepping back. "I'll try not to be a stranger," he promised before heading towards the door.

"Lucky?" He turned to look back at her. When he'd made eye contact, she continued, "I meant what I said, you make her happy."


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: I apologize profusely that it's taken me so long to update! Moving in the last month has taken up all of my spare time, but we should return to a regular update schedule now. Enjoy the new chapter. :)

**Chapter 12 **

Elizabeth walked into Eli's hoping to quickly pick up some dinner and be on her way again. She felt inspired to paint this evening and wanted to get back to the studio as quickly as possible. As she elbowed her way towards the take out counter, she spotted the tables of police officers to her left. Lucky was sitting in the very center, but gratefully he hadn't spotted her. She impatiently stood in line hoping she could pick up her order before she was noticed. The officers' conversation was just audible to her where she was standing. "Come on Spencer, you sure you don't want a beer?" A younger officer asked, clearly they were all drinking if the numerous pitchers were any indication.

"I'm fine," Lucky replied.

"What? One gonna hurt you or something?"

"I don't drink, Beaudry. Not anymore." That statement got Elizabeth's attention. She couldn't help but stare over in Lucky's direction. Suddenly, his eyes locked with hers. Elizabeth did the only thing that seemed natural at that moment. She bolted for the door.

Lucky cursed under his breath. He wasn't sure if Elizabeth had heard any of the guys' conversation, but she'd certainly seen him surrounded by alcohol before. That visual wasn't a good memory for either of them. He stood to go after her; the guys were asking him something, but he didn't have time to answer their questions. She would be long gone if he stopped now. He ran out the door, pausing outside to scan the area for her. He spotted her retreating figure heading for the park. "Elizabeth," he yelled hoping to get her attention. She didn't make any move to slow down or stop. He quickened his pace. "Elizabeth!"

She stopped and turned towards him. She spoke angrily before he could open his mouth, "Was that comment just for my benefit?"

Lucky stood back dumbfounded. So she had heard their conversation. "No. I don't drink. Not since..."

"I mean it, Lucky; you don't have to say that for my sake." She was so mad that she was almost spitting out her words.

"Elizabeth." She looked at him then, and the fire in her eyes died. His eyes were solemn and watery. His tone serious. "I haven't had a drop of alcohol since that night."

"You're not lying?" Elizabeth asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.

Lucky shook his head. "Can we go somewhere and talk? It's overdue I think." Elizabeth nodded. "Kelly's? I don't think this is a good conversation to have in a parking lot."

"Okay. That's a good idea." Elizabeth was in shock. She wasn't sure what put her more off balance–was it the fact that Luke Spencer's son didn't drink or was it the forlorn tone in his voice? She let Lucky lead her through town and into Kelly's. He motioned her over to the back corner table before moving to the counter to order two cups of coffee from Mike.

Lucky knew this was his one shot. He had to do this right; he couldn't afford any missteps. Once he was seated across from her, Lucky took a nervous breath and spoke.

"Before you say anything, I need to apologize." Elizabeth stared at him with wide frightened eyes, silently begging him not to bring up their past. "I meant what I said back at Eli's. I haven't had a drink since that night I ruined everything." He paused to gather his thoughts; he'd thought that he had perfected this apology after years of contemplating it in his head, but doing it while she was close enough to touch sent his well-planned words into oblivion. "I ruined the best thing in my life. I wasn't honest with you about how my feelings for you changed after the chaos with Helena. I tried to act like everything was exactly as it had been, when we both knew that it wasn't the same. I'm sorry for lying to you, for withholding the truth. But mostly, I'm sorry for betraying you. I'm sorry I tried to forget my problems in alcohol. I'm sorry that I even thought about kissing Sarah...." Elizabeth tensed. Lucky didn't feel as though he was doing this right.

"Elizabeth, I know I hurt you. You were the one person that I never wanted to feel pain. I never imagined I would inflict it myself. I destroyed your trust. I know that an apology will never be enough and that I can't make it right." She was stoic, staring at him like an observer uninvolved in the conversation, and Lucky tried to hold his tears at bay. He tried to force the husky tone down, but his desperation at showing her how much he regretted that period won out. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I know that I don't deserve it. I just… need you to know if it was in my power I would do anything I could to love you like you deserve, to have never hurt you like I did."

Elizabeth's hand came over one of his, and he froze. She looked at this man, so obviously broken. And even though that night still haunted her, she knew it did the same for him. With his free hand, he swiped harshly at the tears on his face. The guilt and self-loathing in his eyes was heart wrenching. "Seeing you kiss anybody else, let alone Sarah, was like living my nightmares. That's when I knew we were finished. Even after the wedding, I still held out hope. That somehow we'd be able to make it back to where we'd been. That night killed us; it killed part of me."

Lucky bent his head, and his shoulders shook slightly. She'd often wondered if he hurt the way she did; now she knew. It wasn't a satisfying feeling. Part of her wanted to remove his guilt completely. Lucky hadn't changed that much in the last four years, which meant that he'd more than punished himself for his sins. She couldn't say it was okay because it wasn't. She wouldn't say he hadn't hurt her because they both knew that he had. But she could ease some of his fears, couldn't she? Did she want to? Looking at their clasped hands on the table, she realized she did. She wasn't angry with him anymore. Not really. She would never forget that night, but then again neither would he. She wasn't ready to lose Lucky, not completely. She missed him. So she sighed and pushed out the words that had been warring in her spirit, "I forgive you Lucky." He stared at her as though she'd spoken in an alien language. "I'm not saying I understand what happened. I'm not saying I'm completely over what happened. However, I'm not angry at you for it any longer. " She sensed a shift in Lucky's feelings; his posture relaxed. "But I'm not sure that I trust you, Lucky."

Elizabeth had expected him to bristle at her statement, but he didn't seem surprised. "I haven't really given you much reason to, have I?" He responded, not expecting an answer. His voice took on an earnest, determined tone. "The morning after I screwed up, I made myself a promise. I don't want anything to do with the things that cost me you. I know it'll take you a while to trust me again, but I'd like to win your trust back." What he didn't add, was that he was also hoping to win her heart as well. This was not the right time for that conversation. He wasn't about to push his luck right now. She'd already agreed to talk with him, listen to him, forgive him. For tonight, that was enough. And if they could be friends again, if he could just be in her presence, he could be happy with that—at least for now.

Elizabeth removed her hand from his and sat back in her chair. Could she do this? Was it possible to trust him again? She wasn't sure, but she thought she wanted to try. Some of the best memories in her life included him.

"If you need some time to think about it, I understand. I can wait." He'd been waiting for four years; he'd give her all the time she needed. He stood to go. "I'll just say this: if you ever want to ask me anything, I promise I'll be honest. I will never lie to you again. Nothing in my life is off limits to you."

"Nothing?" She asked. Lucky shook his head. "What about Sarah?"

Lucky sat back down perplexed. "What about her?"

"Had you been seeing her behind my back?" Elizabeth asked, needing to know the answers to the questions that'd plagued her for several years.

"Absolutely not. We'd ended up in the same place that evening, but it wasn't planned, and I wasn't seeing her."

"Did you see her after that?"

"I haven't spoken to or seen Sarah since that night. I have no desire to."

Elizabeth searched Lucky's eyes for a hint of dishonesty or anxiety; she found none. "Really?" For the first time in years, Elizabeth's doubts about herself were silent. Her composure broke, and a sob escaped before she could stop it.

Lucky immediately slid his chair closer to hers and drew her close. "I promise you Elizabeth." Lucky stopped himself before telling her that he loved her; he wasn't sure that she could handle a declaration like that tonight. Not after everything else he'd told her. Elizabeth let herself cry while Lucky ran a comforting hand over her hair. After several moments, she was able to reign in her tears and sit back. Lucky released her but didn't move his chair back. She smiled at him freely, and Lucky couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this at peace with himself.

"Where have you been for the past four years?" Elizabeth asked, switching topics to something a little more innocuous.

"I was living in Dallas, Texas. Working for the police department and then the FBI."

"The FBI?"

"Yeah, I worked with the bureau for a year before deciding it was time to come home." Lucky spent the next 20 minutes filling her in on the generalities of what he'd been doing with his life since leaving Port Charles. He kept things light not telling her of his depression upon arriving in Dallas. "I heard that you've been doing well," he continued, focusing the conversation back on her. She blushed, and Lucky squeezed her hand. "I haven't gotten a chance to say it, but I'm proud of you Elizabeth. I always knew it was only a matter of time until other people saw how talented you are."

Lucky's words of praise meant more to her than she could say. Everything he'd said this evening eased doubts she'd carried for years, but when he said he was proud of her, the words were like a healing balm poured on her spirit. She hadn't realized he was doing so well for himself either. The fact that the FBI had actively recruited him meant that he excelled in his job, and she felt pride for him as well. "If things were going so well, why did you decide to come back to Port Charles now?"

"I had unfinished business that couldn't wait any longer," he responded cryptically, but the look in his eyes told her exactly what that unfinished business was. No? Surely, he wasn't still in love with her? She couldn't believe it and didn't have the nerve to ask. She only nodded her head and scooted her chair away from the table.

"Well, it's getting late. I was supposed to get some painting done this evening." Lucky took her lead and stood when she did. His comment had made her nervous, and she didn't want to talk about anything else serious tonight.

"Can I walk you home?"

"No, that's okay. I'd like some time to think," she said, grabbing her purse from the chair as they headed out the door. Once outside, she turned back to him and paused. "I'm glad I ran into you tonight Lucky. I've missed our talks." She kissed him on the cheek before hurrying away in the direction of her studio.

Lucky stood there frozen, staring after her until she turned and was gone from his sight. "I missed you too."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I'm guessing you were put in charge of providing the ribs?" Elizabeth asked, meeting up with Lucky who was juggling several bags of food. She pulled open the door for them both.

He nodded and peeked over his shoulder. "Can I assume that those are your brownies?"

"Emily was very specific about the menu this evening, which means I was to bring brownies and hot pretzels," Elizabeth said waiting for a sarcastic reply.

"You're a goddess, you know that?"

"What?"

"I've had dreams about both in the last several years." Lucky said, all seriousness. Elizabeth just laughed.

"What's going on with you guys?" Emily interjected from a nearby table, clearly excited about the dynamic between her two best friends.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth replied, setting down her contribution to dinner.

"You guys are being friendly, not that I'm complaining or anything, but you know..."

"We haven't been friendly?" Elizabeth asked, innocently looking at Lucky who noticed the gleam in her eyes.

"I hadn't noticed." He threw an arm around her shoulders pulling her closer. If she wanted to play with Emily's head, he could certainly accommodate her.

"Em, they're just messing with you," Nikolas said sitting down at the center table. "Can we do this as we eat?"

"I'm going to agree with Nikolas. Let's eat while the food's hot," Lucky said sitting down across from his brother. The girls settled into place—Em beside her husband and Elizabeth beside Lucky. Naturally.

"So, it's probably not my business, but what's the deal with you two?" Emily tried again while passing Elizabeth the salad.

"You're right; it's not your business," Lucky retorted before Elizabeth elbowed him. "Hey!"

"We got a chance to talk about some things," She said and paused, not sure how to continue.

Nikolas and Lucky both noticed Emily's eyes widen in surprise and joy. Lucky shot Nikolas a look and shook his head. Nikolas leaned over quietly telling Emily that Lucky and Elizabeth were just friends and not to push it. "Did you get any painting done after you left the other night?" Lucky asked trying to steer the question back toward a neutral topic.

"No, but I did paint all the next day. It's been a while since I've done that." She blushed. "I was actually inspired thinking about you and Lulu at the park. I hope that's okay?"

Lucky fidgeted. "Umm...yeah sure. That's fine." Part of him was excited that she had been thinking about him when she was painting. The other part of him had never been comfortable with her painting him. What was he thinking? This was a good thing.

"So little brother, Em was telling me about your new partner," Nikolas said, winking at Lucky. Elizabeth stilled. "How did you manage to get placed with a partner like her?"

Emily was torn between interrupting her husband indignantly and watching to see if Elizabeth would react as she had a couple of weeks ago. Staying silent won out this one time.

"I think I resent that comment," Lucky said smiling. "We've worked out a good relationship. When she's in professional mode, everything is cool. When she's not, I just ignore her." Lucky noticed how quiet Elizabeth had gotten. "You haven't had a chance to meet Gwen, have you?"

"No, I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Elizabeth replied. Emily kicked her under the table, sending her a glare that said she'd better hide her disgust over Gwen better unless she wanted to explain it to Lucky.

"Have you heard from Ryan recently?" Emily asked turning her attention back to Lucky.

"Who's Ryan?" Elizabeth questioned.

"He was my partner in Texas. He's a good guy, been a great friend to me. I talked to him last week actually. He's doing well. The bureau hasn't assigned him a new partner yet, so I think he's hoping that they'll convince me to come back and work with him again. I told him he'd better plan on moving out here if he wanted to work with me again." Lucky replied.

"I think you would like him Elizabeth; he has this great ability of keeping Lucky humble." Emily laughed. "One evening we were all at Lucky's apartment, and Ryan was talking about how he'd never pegged Lucky for an art connoisseur but he must be wrong for all the time he spent at the local gallery. Lucky must have turned like 9 shades of red."

"You got to know the galleries in Dallas, huh?" Elizabeth said excitedly. "Do you know anything about a gallery called The Blank Canvas?" Lucky could've strangled Emily at that moment, in fact he was working out the logistics of such a move when Nikolas spoke up.

"Oh, Lucky got very familiar with the whole neighborhood he lived in. Galleries, museums, libraries. He's our renaissance man."

Lucky shot his brother a grateful nod. "Yeah, that's why they love Ryan so much 'cause they all gang up on me. Don't you feel sorry for me?" He pouted.

"No," Elizabeth giggled. She had missed this. The four of them spending time together, discussing both the absurd and the serious.

The conversation shifted to Emily's ideas for redecorating Wyndemere. Within moments, she and Elizabeth were excitedly swapping ideas about paint colors and lighting. Lucky was officially lost, but he didn't mind. Elizabeth's eyes were shining brightly as she spoke excitedly, hands moving in time with her words. Lucky fought the temptation to grab her and kiss her midsentence. He told himself that he should just be content with being in the same room with her again. And he was grateful. He loved being able to watch her talk freely like this. He'd been patient so far; this was not the time to blow it. Tonight proved that she was feeling more comfortable around him again. He would be thankful for small blessings. Like sitting this close to her, watching her eyes dance happily, seeing her at ease, at peace for the first time since he'd arrived back in town. When she glanced over at him and smiled shyly, his heart skipped a beat. He had a lot to be thankful for.

He looked over and almost laughed. Nikolas was bored. Lucky caught Nikolas' attention and nodded his head towards the brownies on their side of the table. Shooting a glance at the women obviously engaged in their own conversation, Nikolas began to lift the tin foil back from his end of the pan while Lucky did the same from his.

Suddenly, two feminine hands captured the guys' wrists. "What are you guys doing? Did we say that it was time for dessert?" Emily demanded.

"We just didn't want to interrupt that scintillating conversation you ladies were having while we served up dessert. I don't think that's a crime, do you Lucky?" Nikolas asked innocently while Lucky shook his head. The girls laughed and grabbed their own brownies.

"We should do this regularly again now that Lucky's back in town," Elizabeth suggested.

"We could make it a weekly event," Emily responded enthusiastically.

"You just let me know when and where, and I'm all for it," Lucky agreed. Any opportunity he had to see Elizabeth at this point, he would take advantage of.

"I'm glad." Elizabeth said. "Tonight was the most fun I've had in a long time."


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Elizabeth lay in bed trying to fall asleep. So far, she was having no luck. Her mind just kept running in circles. Finally, she threw the covers off and padded into the kitchen to grab a mug and fill it with water. Swinging around to put the cup in the microwave, she noticed the brownie pan soaking in the sink. She really should wash it; it'd been sitting in the sink for 3 days now. That was unlike her–well, unlike her when she wasn't inspired.

Ever since dinner the other night, she had been painting and sketching like a mad woman. She smiled to herself as the microwave beeped, and she dropped some hot chocolate mix into the mug. The other night with Lucky, Em, and Nik was the best time she'd had in years. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt as relaxed, accepted, or happy as she had that night. She sighed. Why was it that she'd been dating a good guy, a nice man, for the last 6 months and yet she couldn't bring up a similar instance when in his company? If she was honest with herself, she hadn't even wanted to think about Andrew the other night. It'd been so much easier just to enjoy the company of her 3 best friends, her closest family besides Gram.

She let herself pretend for one night that their group of four were the only ones that mattered, like it had been when they were growing up. The four musketeers who did everything with and for each other and needed no one else. She'd just about forgotten what it was like when they were all present. She had spent plenty of time with both Emily and Nikolas over the last few years, but without Lucky, something was missing. She'd felt like a third wheel more than once. Now that Lucky was back, at least she had someone to talk with when Nik and Em were enraptured with each other. Elizabeth chuckled at that thought and carried her hot chocolate over to the couch. After tucking her legs up underneath her, she pushed play on her stereo and soft music filled the studio.

She was amazed at how comfortably she and Lucky had settled back into friendship. He was the type of friend that she knew no matter what she could call on; he would be there for her if he could. They would always be important to each other. It was just the type of bond they had; the past connected them too closely to sever all ties. Elizabeth realized that forgiving Lucky was part of the reason she felt at peace. She'd been carrying around her anger and fear for far too long. Now when she walked out her door in the morning, she didn't dread running into him. In fact, this morning when she'd left she'd actually hoped that she would see him.

She'd missed Lucky. Having him in town again reminded her of that fact. She'd missed him listening intently to whatever it was she needed to babble on about. She'd missed watching his face light up whenever anyone he loved walked in the room. She'd even missed how he spoke before thinking when he was angry or excited. She wondered if he was awake. Would he welcome a call from her at this time of night? He'd always been happy to talk with her at the odd hours of night before. No, she didn't need to disturb him this late only because she couldn't sleep. Elizabeth paused in thought.

Why was she so focused on Lucky anyway? Two weeks ago, she'd gone out of her way not to think about or see him. Tonight, she couldn't stop thinking about him. To be honest, trying not to think about him was what had kept her so busy painting the last couple of days. The harder she tried not to dwell on him, the more she kept seeing him laughing at Emily the other night. Or leaning back in his chair watching her and Em talk. She'd been unnerved by his attention. Unnerved, yet pleased nonetheless. She had felt the same way when she'd stumbled upon him and Lulu in the park several weeks ago. He'd looked at her with such rapt attention that it made her heart speed up. She smiled again thinking about Lucky, about the next time she could see him, about how amazing he'd looked in that blue dress shirt, jeans, and shoulder harness the other night. She let out a slow breath. He had matured into such an attractive man, almost irresistible.

Wait ... what was she thinking? Elizabeth groaned, dropping her head back on the couch cushion. She couldn't feel that for Lucky. Not now. She was just getting used to him being back in town. They were trying to settle into a platonic friendship. This was not the time to think about how wonderful he'd ... STOP! She'd always found Lucky attractive. He was a good looking man. That didn't mean she couldn't be friends with him. It didn't mean that they had to be anything more than friends. She'd been friends with him before when she'd found him attractive; she could do it again. Besides, he'd hurt her; She couldn't risk her heart to him again. Friends and only friends was what she needed them to be.

And yet? He had obviously learned from his mistakes. He'd looked so broken that night they'd talked. And he'd been completely honest with her. He promised never to lie to or mislead her again. Elizabeth knew that he had reformed himself. He would never let what had torn them apart 4 years ago happen again. History would not repeat itself.

But could she really trust that he wouldn't leave her for someone else? Even if she admitted that she was dealing with emotions she thought were long dead, that didn't mean that she could trust him to stay faithful. Especially with that new partner of his. Elizabeth frowned and walked into the kitchen. Gwen.

"Why does everyone like her so much?" Elizabeth asked aloud, splashing the hot chocolate over the lip of her mug and onto the counter. Besides there was no reason for her to be analyzing these feelings; it was not like Lucky was still in love with her. Just because he wanted to be friends again didn't mean that he had been pining for the last 4 years. A disheartening thought. Tonight was definite proof that her feelings for him weren't as deeply buried as she thought. She wanted to believe the same was true for Lucky.

She was getting ready to turn off the lights in the kitchen when she spotted a note on the fridge written in a well-known script. Andrew's script. "What am I doing? I am in a serious relationship. I have a man who loves me. I can't be thinking about Lucky like this!"

Walking back into her bedroom and laying down restlessly, she was troubled. She had been dating Andrew for half a year now. He was close to proposing she knew. Why was she having these feelings for Lucky again? Why had she'd let herself rationalize them for so long tonight?

And then she knew.

She didn't love Andrew. At least not like she had loved Lucky. And honestly, she probably never would. Andrew had pursued her and made her smile. He was enjoyable company, but she didn't count the minutes until her next meeting with him. She had never been fully open with him. Her relationship with Andrew was nothing like her relationship with Lucky had been. With Lucky, she had been free to be whoever and feel however she wanted. With Lucky, she hadn't wanted to be away from him a second longer than necessary. Lucky made her feel alive and passionate and happy. Lucky had the power to heal her or hurt her. Loving Lucky was both exhilarating and terrifying. He was a part of her best moments and her worst. That was exactly why she'd decided to date Andrew. With Andrew, she was in control. Andrew only saw what she let him see. She wasn't afraid of what he made her feel. He couldn't hurt her, not like Lucky had.

What she felt for Andrew was totally different from her feelings for Lucky. Her feelings for Andrew were centered around mutual interests, concern, and comfort. Yes, sometimes she did miss the transparency and intimacy that came with the kind of relationship she'd shared with Lucky. He'd understood her better than anyone else. Every now and then, she wondered if she'd feel that way again. However, the truth was that the depth of what she felt with Lucky left her far too vulnerable. She didn't want to risk loving that way again. She couldn't risk loving Lucky again. It scared her too much. These feelings that she had for him were better left in the past; they would recede.

She and Lucky would go back to being good friends and nothing more. She would continue seeing Andrew. She did care for him. She enjoyed their time together. Andrew wasn't dangerous. Not like Lucky. She and Lucky had their chance, and it almost destroyed both of them. This was the right decision. Lucky was a friend, but just that. And for now, Andrew was her boyfriend. It was the way things had to be. This was the right decision, the best decision. If she kept telling herself that, sooner or later, she would believe it. As she rolled onto her side, a familiar chorus filtered into her room from the stereo she had forgotten to turn off. As Darryl Worley sang on, Elizabeth smiled sadly and willed herself to sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter for a couple of days fanfiction and my word document didn't like each other. But here it is; enjoy!

**Chapter 15**

Elizabeth was humming to herself as she made her way across town to the PCPD. Lucky had asked her to join him for lunch today, and she had been looking forward to it all week. They hadn't been able to see each other much since the dinner at Kelly's over a week ago. The case he'd been working on had taken a turn for the worse, and Elizabeth knew that he'd been running himself ragged trying to catch the suspect before he got to far away.

That's why when Lucky called and asked her if she wanted to meet him for lunch one day she'd been surprised, surprised but pleased. Just because she'd made the decision to continue dating Andrew didn't mean that she wasn't looking forward to rebuilding her friendship with Lucky as well. He hadn't been able to give her a specific time but promised that if she would show up he would make the time to get away for lunch. She was rounding the corner when she noticed Lucky and his partner pull into the parking lot. Elizabeth slowed down, in no hurry to converse with Gwen today.

She realized that she didn't have a rational reason to dislike the woman and conceded that probably had something to do with the renegade feelings she'd battled the other evening. Lucky's back was to her when she heard Gwen's topic of conversation. Elizabeth stopped. "Lucky, I still say that you owe me dinner. I can be nice company. And I'd love to see you in a suit." Elizabeth noticed the way Gwen moved a couple of steps closer to Lucky, barring his entrance into the station. Elizabeth knew that she could intervene, and yet, she had a morbid fascination to see how he would react to the obvious come on. She couldn't see Lucky's slightly shocked and annoyed expression, but she did hear his response.

"We've been through this before Gwen."

Gwen laid a hand on Lucky's arm. "What, you can't give me one evening to change your mind?"

Lucky stiffened and shrugged her hand off. "I don't know what this is, but go flirt with any other officer in the station. I am your partner. I respect you. That's it. I am not interested, and you know why." At this point Lucky paused, noticing that Gwen had shifted her attention to a spot beyond him. He turned and saw who she'd been smiling at. Everything fell into place. He shot a glare back over in Gwen's direction, making a mental note to lecture her later.

"Well, I have a report to file, and you guys have a lunch to get to, I think," Gwen supplied all smiles, practically skipping into the station.

Elizabeth closed the distance between them. "Hi," she said plainly, too many questions rushing at her to pick one right now.

"Please don't mind her; she's always crazy like that. I've learned to pay her very little attention most of the time," Lucky responded with a nervous chuckle. He wasn't sure how Elizabeth was going to react to what she'd just seen–it could be very bad for him. He'd picked up on the fact that Elizabeth didn't care for his partner, and he hadn't really thought too much about the long term consequences of that reality. He was more concerned with how it might affect the short term, i.e., Elizabeth deciding to be his friend again, giving him the chance to win her back.

"Do you need to tell anyone you're going?" Elizabeth asked, choosing to disregard what she'd seen, for now.

Lucky breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. "No. I have technically been off duty for..." he paused to look at his watch, "an hour and 36 minutes now. To Kelly's?"

Elizabeth laughed and nodded. As they made their way to the little restaurant, Elizabeth caught Lucky up on what she'd been doing for the last week and a half. "Basically, I haven't had a burst of inspiration like this in years! I've completed 4 paintings since our evening with Nik and Em."

"Definitely worth celebrating," Lucky murmured as he held the door for her to enter Kelly's. "You find us a table; I'll order and make sure Mike gives us two very large root beer floats."

"Floats, huh? You aren't kidding about celebrating," Liz replied giggling. Lucky just motioned her away while he struck up a conversation with Mike. Once they were settled at a table with floats, Elizabeth ventured the question she'd been longing to ask, "Why did you turn Gwen down?"

Lucky gulped down his mouthful of soda quickly, coughing a moment before responding, "Because I don't like Gwen in that way. She's my partner. She's good at her job. But I have no desire to think of her romantically."

Elizabeth seemed to ponder that statement for a moment, and he almost thought she didn't believe him until she nodded and asked him another question. This question was more difficult than the last. "You said that she knew why you weren't interested. You were going to expand on that before you noticed I'd walked up. What were you going to say?"

Lucky's expression grew more earnest. He had promised to be completely honest with Liz, and so he would be. "I was going say that she knows that right now it is too important to me to win your trust back to mess that up in any way...."

Elizabeth took a moment to process what he was saying. If she'd heard him correctly and understood the underlying meaning, then that meant that ... wait, what did that mean?

Lucky took her hand gently. "Elizabeth. I want you to understand something. I came back to Port Charles because I needed to make things right with you. At this point in my life, the most important thing to me is for you to know that I'm sorry, that you can trust me again. I want you to know how important you are to me." Elizabeth was shocked. He came back to Port Charles for her?! She'd never imagined that was why. Well, that was wrong; maybe she'd had some idea, but she was too afraid to admit it, even to herself. She swallowed, suddenly choked up by a rush of affection for Lucky that begged to be voiced. He was laying it all out in front of her, allowing himself to be completely vulnerable just to ease her mind. Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, not sure quite what, when she noticed the person striding over to their table.

"Andrew," Liz croaked out, feeling conflicting guilt and disappointment at the same time. Andrew smiled and bent over to kiss her soundly before speaking.

"Hello." He turned to face Lucky, smirking a little. "Lucky."

Lucky wasn't sure how he managed the will power to speak calmly at that point. He kept his tightly clenched fists under the table and relaxed his jaw enough to reply, "Hello Andrew."

Elizabeth had been about to open up to him; he knew it, and then Haydn showed up. Lucky tried to push away his frustration. It was bad enough that he couldn't grab Elizabeth and kiss her like he wanted; having to watch another man kiss her was pure, unadulterated torture.

Especially when that man gave you a look that let you know he knew exactly what he was doing and was proud of it. 'Get a grip Spencer. This is not the time to lose it. This wouldn't be the best time to punch him. Although..., no, now was definitely not the time for that.' He looked over at Elizabeth and smiled; she was completely oblivious to the battle of male egos raging around her. Except for the slight disappointment hidden in her eyes. Lucky knew that was a good sign, but he was having a problem thinking about anything other than the fact that Haydn had ruined a moment that would've brought him and Elizabeth one step closer to each other.

"I'm guessing your meeting let out earlier than you thought, considering you didn't think you would make it out of the hospital before 7 tonight?" Elizabeth asked, trying to break the silence somewhat.

Andrew tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Actually, they decided to give us a quick break to grab something to eat. I knew that you would probably be here today, so I thought I would stop by and see if I could pick you up a little earlier this evening? Maybe 6?"

"I think that is definitely an option," Elizabeth replied nodding. She shot a glance over at Lucky. He was clearly uncomfortable. For a moment, she felt angry that Andrew had interrupted what was going on between Lucky and herself. She knew she should be happy her boyfriend showed up to surprise her, but all she wanted to do was get rid of him quickly so that look in Lucky's eyes would go away. Damn these feelings that were only making everything more complicated!

"Good, I'll see you this evening then. Oh, and wear something spectacular. I have big plans for us tonight," He leaned over to kiss her again, lingering slightly to whisper an 'I love you' before pulling away. And with that, Andrew left, shooting one last knowing smile at Lucky on his way out.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Elizabeth was standing on the docks contemplating her feelings for both Lucky and Andrew when she heard the footsteps behind her. She turned towards them, but in the dark, all she could make out was a shadowy form. "Who's there?"

The figure stepped closer, and that's when she spotted the gun. "Well aren't you a purty little thing?" The man purred. Elizabeth felt her body go cold. She hadn't been paying close enough attention; she knew better than to be out here alone at night. She moved for the steps, but his hand shot out to grab her arm. "What's your hurry, honey?"

"Let. Me. Go." Elizabeth bit out, struggling against him and trying not to show her fear.

"Why would I want to do something like that?" He said, pulling her closer. She couldn't afford to waste any more time; she had to get out of this situation now before...before it went any further. Elizabeth yelled for help at the same moment that she brought her foot down as hard as she could on the man's foot twisting away from him. He howled in frustration and grabbed at her. But a body moved between them.

"Leave the lady alone."

Elizabeth sighed in relief. "Lucky." He nodded at her, silently asking her if she was okay before turning his full attention back to the man. She felt a set of arms come around her waist and jumped. It was Andrew. He was saying something, but she couldn't concentrate because the man was speaking to Lucky, and she turned back.

"Hey man, I was just having some fun; go find your own girl." He waved the gun towards Lucky.

"I'm not going anywhere, and you are never going to get within a mile of her again." Lucky replied not intimidated.

The man muttered something to himself before speaking, "We'll see about that." Without warning, he fired, and Lucky immediately sank down to the ground.

"LUCKY!!!" Elizabeth yelled, fighting at Andrew's arms while trying to get to Lucky. He'd just been trying to protect her. How had this happened? Why wasn't Andrew calling 911 like she was screaming for him to? He wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't let her help Lucky who was grimacing in pain, staring up at her desperately. What was going on? Andrew was dragging her away from Lucky, saying something about how they had somewhere to be. What was he thinking? Lucky was going to die if Andrew didn't let her go. She fought harder as Lucky began to lose consciousness while Andrew continued to drag her further away every moment. "Lucky!" Elizabeth screamed, shooting up in bed.

Her breaths were coming in ragged gasps, and she tried to regain somewhat of a normal rhythm. Elizabeth slid over to the side of the bed shaking. Her hands fumbled for the phone at her bedside. Quickly and mindlessly, she punched in the number. Within moments, he had answered. "Lucky..."

"Elizabeth? What's going on? Are you okay?" Lucky could tell by the tone of her voice that something was wrong. Jumping out of bed, he pulled a t-shirt over his head and grabbed the keys by the door as he spoke.

"I just... Are you okay?" She whispered anxiously.

"I'm fine. Talk to me, sweetie; tell me what happened." By this time, he'd made it to his car and was starting it up, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he grabbed for the seat belt.

"I had a horrible nightmare.... It was so real. Lucky, you promise you're alright?" She was pacing her living space now having turned on every light in the studio. Hearing him speak and breathe on the other end was calming her down, but she still felt jumpy, too alert for sleep.

"Elizabeth, I promise I'm okay. Are you?"

"I'm in the studio. My door is locked. I have the lights on." She couldn't sit, so she continued pacing, making a wide arc around the windows.

On his end, Lucky knew he was breaking several traffic laws, but something in her voice drove him on. Whatever had happened in the dream had shaken her good, and the sooner he could hold her in his arms, the better he would feel. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I was at the docks. It was... nighttime. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. And there was this... this man." Lucky gripped the steering wheel harder and pushed the pedal down with a bit more force hearing the trembling in her voice. "He... had a gun. And he looked at me and started trying to sweet talk me. I tried to run away, but... he grabbed me."

She choked up a moment then, and Lucky, who had reached the door of the building, hit the steps running full force. He didn't want to scare her, so he interrupted her halting speech. "Lisbeth, sweetie, I'm getting ready to knock on your door, okay? I don't want you to be afraid."

Elizabeth rushed for the door, and before he had knocked twice, she flung it open. "Lucky," she sighed, throwing herself into his arms.

Lucky drew her closer, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Elizabeth, you're safe. Do you hear me? You're safe." He walked them slowly into the apartment, kicking the door closed with his foot. She leaned back in his arms slightly to look at him, and he could feel her heartbeat start to normalize. Reluctantly he released her, taking her hand to lead her over to the couch. She sat down first, and Lucky pulled a quilt around her trembling shoulders before settling down next to her. She scooted closer, and Lucky pulled her close. "Was that the end of the dream? When this man grabbed you?" He could feel her tense up again as she shook her head.

"I fought him off and screamed for help. And... and then you showed up." She fidgeted with the blanket and turned her body in towards his so she could face him. "And you wouldn't let him touch me, and I thought it was going to be okay. Andrew was there standing behind me. The man started baiting you... and he... then he..." She choked back a sob running a hand absentmindedly along his chest. Lucky took her hand.

"What did he do?" Lucky asked gently.

"He shot you. He shot you, and you were just lying on the ground dying. You were dying in front of me, and... and Andrew was pulling me away, and he wouldn't let me help you. I was just... I tried so hard to get..." She broke off then sobbing, and Lucky tenderly pulled her into his lap. Elizabeth's arms automatically went around his waist as she turned her head into his chest. Lucky let her cry while he ran a hand through her hair whispering words of comfort to her.

When her shaking seemed to lessen somewhat and she began to relax in his arms, Lucky pulled her back from him slightly so he could look her in the face. "Lisbeth, look at me." He cupped her face between his hands, wiping away a few errant tears. "You are safe. No one's going to hurt you, not if I can help it. And I'm perfectly fine. I'm not going to get shot. You are not going to have to watch me die, okay?" Elizabeth nodded. "Do you know that?"

"I'm safe here with you. Nothing is going to happen to either one of us," she replied.

Lucky nodded. "Good. Does that mean that you aren't feeling as scared anymore?"

"I wasn't so much scared for myself. I mean I was, but I just... I needed to know that it wasn't real. That you hadn't been shot." She reached a hand up to his face, reassuring herself that he was actually there in front of her, holding her. "Lucky, when I thought..." She began trembling again. "I couldn't take it if you were..."

"Hey!" Lucky broke in gently but firmly. "I'm fine, remember?" She nodded timidly. In that moment, he couldn't restrain himself any longer. She needed to be reassured that he was okay, and there was only one way he knew to do that. He dipped his head down and kissed her tenderly but soundly. Immediately she responded and entrenched herself further in his embrace. Lucky knew life couldn't get any better than this; having her return the kiss was heaven. Kissing her was truly coming home.

Moments later, he pulled back realizing his error and preparing to apologize. She only laid her head on his shoulder, sighing in peace. "Thanks for coming without me asking."

Lucky squeezed her tighter for a moment. "Anytime, Elizabeth, anytime." Elizabeth felt herself relaxing completely for the first time since waking up. She didn't want him to leave yet; she was afraid that the moment he walked out the door those images would assault her again. She spoke cautiously, without making eye contact. "Lucky?"

"Uh huh?" He responded quietly, but with her face positioned as it was, she felt his answer as much as heard it. "Would you stay? I mean at least until I fall back asleep?"

"You didn't even have to ask," he said, pulling his hand through her hair in a slow rhythm. Satisfied, she closed her eyes, letting his presence lull her to sleep. Not long after, Lucky's head dropped back on the couch as well.

This was the way Andrew found them hours later when he walked into the unlocked apartment.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

His meeting had only taken him away for two days. Two days! His hands shook as he poured himself some brandy. The last thing he'd expected to see was what he'd encountered tonight. He'd been driving through town towards his own apartment when he noticed the lights on in Liz' studio. Deciding to surprise his ever-busy girlfriend, Andrew pulled into the parking lot. He had been almost to the door of the building when he noticed the 1966 Mustang, Spencer's vehicle. This had only quickened Andrew's pace. Why would Lucky Spencer be in his girlfriend's apartment at four in the morning? Reaching her door, he tried the doorknob before knocking, and surprisingly, the door swung open. His stomach dropped.

There she was, his girlfriend, asleep in Lucky Spencer's arms. Beneath the blanket that covered both of them, Andrew noted the camisole Liz wore wrapped up as she was in that man's arms. Lucky's flip flops cast off to the side of the couch. His instinct was to slam the door and confront them both, possibly beat Spencer into a bloody pulp. But logic won out. He stepped back out of the apartment shutting the door behind him and made his way to his own place. He had managed to close the door behind him before pitching both his briefcase and his keys onto the kitchen bar. Now here he was gulping the fiery liquid and trying to regain control of his emotions so he could think about his next step. His eyes fell upon a painting of Liz' hanging on the wall.

The brandy glass went crashing towards the art. He should've dealt with Spencer at the beginning. He had known Liz's ex would be trouble, but he'd been too afraid of tipping his hand. No longer. Lucky Spencer had just signed his own death sentence.

How had Spencer done it? Liz hated Lucky when he'd first come back to town, swore to avoid him at all costs. Yet, not two months later, she was meeting him for lunch. Andrew wondered how Lucky had manipulated his way into Liz' studio tonight. The scene in her apartment reeked of him. Andrew had seen Liz right before he left, and she'd shown no indication of thinking about anyone else. Somehow, Spencer had gotten to her, taken advantage of her weaknesses. Just like Caleb had taken advantage of Emma. Andrew angrily tore his tie off and flung it on the couch. He hadn't realized the threat Caleb proved until it was too late. He knew better this time. Caleb and Emma had both been punished for their transgressions. He wouldn't lose Elizabeth like he lost Emma.

Andrew calmed himself with a deep breath and made his way into the bedroom. Liz had been harder to win over than Emma. She'd been full of anger and resentment. Emma, on the other hand, had just been hurting. She hadn't understood why Caleb would choose his job over her. It hadn't taken Andrew long to step into Caleb's place. True, she'd been reserved, but that Andrew had anticipated. Unfortunately, Caleb had returned before Andrew and Emma's marriage. Within weeks, he had wormed his way back into Emma's heart and life. Andrew hadn't noticed how far she'd slipped away until it was too late.

Until that night. The night she gave him his ring back, telling him that she couldn't marry him because she was in love with someone else. It didn't take a genius to know who she was speaking about. He tried to repair the damage at that point, but things had quickly spun out of his control. Leaving his father to pick up the pieces. The elder Haydn had not been happy about having to clean up after his son. That had been made perfectly clear. Well, he wouldn't have to involve his father this time. He would deal with Lucky himself. It would take a couple of days to do this well. He couldn't afford to be sloppy, but the minute he was sure no one could suspect him he would act.

Once Spencer was out of her life for good, Liz would remember that she wanted to be with Andrew. Elizabeth Webber would be his. Until the day she died.

----------

Lucky awoke slowly. He loathed having to release her now, but he knew it was better for her that he did. Elizabeth snuggled closer in her sleep, and Lucky bit back a groan. This was how he wanted to wake up every day for the rest of his life. Well, almost. A real bed might be better considering this couch was not made for people of his size, let alone he and Elizabeth both.

He gently traced her cheek, noting that the stress of last night's events had vanished from her face. He was relieved she had called him; he only wished it hadn't been because she was terrified. He hadn't seen her that upset in years, and it didn't sit any better with him now than it had then. Lucky hated seeing her afraid. This morning, however, she would be okay. She'd slept soundly without a hint of nightmares. He didn't want her to try to justify her behavior last night, so it was better that he sneak out now. After all, she'd only asked him to stay until she fell asleep. He'd known that he would stay the whole night to make sure she was okay.

Right or wrong, Lucky's gut told him that she wasn't ready to discuss the kiss they'd shared. She would only feel guilty if they did. Because like it or not, she was seeing someone. Knowing how she felt about cheating, Lucky didn't want to give her any reason to beat herself up. She wasn't ready to wake up in his arms, not yet. Moving carefully, Lucky slid away from her until he was standing beside the couch. He tucked the blanket back around her tightly, kissing her briefly. He turned to slide his feet into his discarded flip flops and grab his keys before heading to the door. Not liking the idea of leaving her in an unlocked apartment, Lucky scribbled her a note explaining that he was taking her studio key and to give him a call so they could meet up for her to get it back. He looked back one more time to make sure she was sleeping soundly before slipping out the door and locking it behind him. Smiling to himself, Lucky slipped the key on his keyring before jogging down the steps and towards his mustang.

Elizabeth smiled once she heard the door lock and close. Lucky always knew what she needed. He'd come last night without her having to ask. He'd stayed all night even when she'd only asked for a little while. And this morning, he'd left knowing she would need time to think. She slid deeper into the blanket, breathing in what was left of his scent. She realized now that he must have come last night after showering because the blanket smelled of his soap, the unique scent Liz would've recognized anywhere as Lucky Spencer's.

Evidently, she'd gotten better at fooling him over the years; he'd had no idea she'd been awake when he'd slipped off the couch this morning. His kiss had almost shocked her into responding. Luckily, she stopped herself in time. She smiled, pulling the blanket over her reddening face. Lucky's kisses were something unique as well. She'd missed them. A yawn interrupted her musings. Closing her eyes to sleep a little longer, Elizabeth realized she hadn't felt truly safe like this in years, not since before the fire.

And all because of Lucky. She should do something to let him know that she appreciated him. She began to think of all the ways she could let Lucky know how much he meant to her. It might take a couple of days, but she would come up with a way to show Lucky how she really felt. He would always be an important part of her life regardless of whether she was seeing someone or not, and it was time she told him that. She let out one more contended sigh and pulled the blanket closer before falling back asleep.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"So, are you ever going to tell me why you've been walking around for the last couple of days smiling like an idiot?" Gwen asked as she and Lucky left the PCPD for lunch. She thought she knew who was the cause of his mood; she just didn't know why.

Lucky chuckled and replied, "No."

Gwen only groaned in frustration. "Come on, I'm a woman ... you can't leave me hanging like this! I know this has something to do with Elizabeth. Give me something here." Her cell rang interrupting the interrogation she had planned. She glanced at the caller ID before answering, "Hello?"

"Gwen Salinger? This is Ryan Sutle, Lucky Spencer's old partner."

"Oh, hi Ryan. Does Lucky have his cell turned off? He's right here if you want to speak to..."

"No!" Ryan interrupted. "I mean, no. I need to talk to you for a moment before I tell him."

"O ... kay?" Gwen slowed her steps, catching a questioning glance from Lucky and shrugging her shoulders in response.

"I want you to hear everything I have to say before responding. Try not to tip Lucky off to what we are talking about, okay?"

"Hit me."

"I found something in Andrew Haydn's past. Something that might send Lucky over the edge. Once he knows, I'm not sure how he's going to react–you know how he gets: emotion first, thinking later–anyway I need for you to keep him from killing Haydn."

"What?!" Gwen couldn't censor the exclamation from her voice or her expression. Lucky was now looking at her in concern, and she tried to shoot him a semi-reassuring smile.

"I'm serious. You may not know about Lucky and Elizabeth's past, but it's going to come into play here.... I don't have time to explain it. I think you'll put the pieces together once you hear what I'm getting ready to tell you." Ryan paused. Gwen braced herself for what was going to come, trying to gauge what she was going to do to stop Lucky if the news was really as bad as Ryan seemed to think. Ryan switched into professional mode at that point and gave her the clinical details, short and to the point.

Gwen's eyes shut in revulsion and anxiety. It was worse than she had expected. "I don't know that I'm going to be able to stop him," she whispered softly to Ryan. Lucky was growing more concerned by the moment, pacing back and forth in front of her. She knew he wanted to grab the phone from her hand but restrained himself.

"I'll do the best I can on my end. Just do as much interference as you can. Once I have more information I'll call you and Lucky to let you know. I'm getting ready to fly up there and speak to her in person." Ryan responded.

Suddenly, she remembered. "Ryan, something happened yesterday that didn't make any sense to me, but maybe it will to you. I came around the corner to Kelly's yesterday and saw Andrew staring into the restaurant. Something about his posture made me stop and watch him. He looked livid yet eerily in control. He was talking to himself. The only thing I could piece together was '... just like Caleb ...' and '... I've learned my lesson.' Then he stalked away. When I walked up to the door, I noticed the only people inside were Elizabeth and Lucky. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Caleb you said? I'll have to check my notes again and see if that name shows up, but it doesn't sound familiar to me. Thanks for telling me Gwen. Maybe once I talk to Ms. Rosing, I'll have a better sense of what really happened."

Lucky was standing in front of Gwen now, motionless. His eyes had narrowed in anger when Gwen mentioned what she'd seen yesterday. Knowing that he wouldn't be put off any longer, she handed the phone over wordlessly. "What did you find Ryan?" He bit out tersely. All aspects of his casual, happy attitude erased.

"I turned up some unfiled paperwork from Philadelphia. Does the name Emma Rosing mean anything to you?"

"No, I've never heard that name before. Why are you beating around the bush?" Lucky's hand clenched the phone tighter, and he forced himself to take a deep breath.

"Lucky, you can't do anything rash with what I'm getting ready to tell you. I want you to remember that these charges were never filed. You have to promise me you won't take things into your own hands once you hear what I am going to tell you."

"Look man, I promise. I am sure Gwen'll keep me from trying to go arrest him or anything."

"Emma Rosing is the name of Andrew's ex-girlfriend. I found a case file concerning both of them."

"Spit it out Ry," Lucky interrupted.

"There are allegations that he raped her." The words barely registered before Lucky dropped the phone.

Gwen caught the phone in mid-air before turning in the direction Lucky's exit. "Ryan? He's gone."

--------

Elizabeth shot Mike one more grateful smile as he closed the door behind her. It would've taken her forever to get all this stuff into Lucky's room without him, needless to say how she would've gotten into Lucky's room without him! It may have taken her several days to come up with the idea, but she thought it was one of her best. After doing a quick survey of the room, she went to work making the bed and putting discarded clothes in a heap to be washed. Evidently, he needed a laundry basket as well. When she opened the closet a whiff of Lucky's cologne wafted out of the freshly pressed clothes. She sighed, resisting the urge to bury her face in one of his t-shirts. So far, so good! There was a crate in the corner of the room, but it was too big to hold her gift, so she was fairly certain he wouldn't end up with two.

Elizabeth hadn't once considered that maybe her plan was inappropriate for someone in a committed relationship. In the back of her mind, the fact that Andrew was her boyfriend registered, but she hadn't been able to resist the desire to do this for Lucky. She wanted to make him as happy as he'd made her. If she were to be honest with herself, she'd admit that there was no way she could stay away from Lucky Spencer, and she didn't really want to. But, she wasn't being honest with herself. At present, full on denial was at work.

Lifting the case onto the bed, Elizabeth smiled again. She'd guessed right that he hadn't replaced the guitar destroyed in the fire. The shiny new guitar she'd found in New York was perfect. She'd resisted the urge to decorate this one, except maybe for a small frontier landscape on the case itself. Lucky loved the west, and her painting didn't feminize the case any. After checking his schedule with Mac, Elizabeth knew she had 30 minutes before Lucky would be off work. This gave her just enough time to chill the root beer and glasses in the cooler Mike had dragged up and keep the rest of the food somewhat warm in the oven downstairs. Her brownies were already cooling on the dresser. She quickly slipped the glasses and soda into the ice before closing the lid tightly and heading downstairs to make sure the food would be ready to plate and carry up once Lucky arrived.

She wanted tonight to be perfect. Lucky had been so sweet and understanding and present in the last couple of weeks, and she wanted to show him in some way how much it meant to her. A quick inspection of the oven's contents assured her that dinner would be perfect by the time Lucky arrived. As she walked back up the stairs, Elizabeth thought back to the way he'd kissed her last weekend; she couldn't seem to stop thinking about those kisses. If only... no, she didn't need to think about that.

An hour later, Elizabeth was getting frustrated and bored. She didn't want to spoil the surprise by calling him, but maybe she hadn't thought this out too well. What if he didn't come home for hours?

She told herself that worrying did no good and decided that what she needed was a distraction. Her eyes landed on the crate in the corner again. Wandering over to it, she pushed the top aside gingerly. She probably shouldn't be snooping through his stuff, but surely, he wouldn't mind. Setting aside the top, she noticed the muslin known for protecting artwork in transit. Pulling out the first covered piece, she tenderly removed the fabric revealing a painting of Kelly's. Wait! It was her painting of Kelly's. Setting that one aside, she pulled out the next painting. It was her painting of the boxcar. The next was of a forgotten church in a snowstorm, followed by one of her favorite section of beach. A busy NY street in the village. A foursome eating dinner by candlelight. Her Gram's house. The night sky through a window. The "Moments of Living" portrait of him. Every painting that she'd forced herself to get rid of in the last four years, he'd found and bought. Their life together saved. Their memories safe.

She was pulling the last one out when her cell rang. Flipping the phone open, she was immediately greeted with Rachel's voice, "I found out that Lucky Spencer is your mystery collector. He has bought quite a bit of your art over the last couple of years. I finally got the manager of that shop to talk. She said he came in once a week to ask about your pieces. Evidently he not only bought the 9 pieces from that gallery, but he also bought a piece from your show in New York, the..."

"'If Only in My Dreams' piece? I remember it," Elizabeth answered staring down at the piece in question. The one piece she had regretted selling, her favorite piece of all the paintings she'd completed. It was a painting of a family at Christmas; the father was cradling a baby by the lit tree while a small girl played at his feet. All those figures were blurred as if in the background. The mother standing by the kitchen, gazing in love on her family, was clearly defined. It was her. That painting was her dream, displayed for all to see.

"How did you know?" Rachel asked.

"Because I am standing here in Lucky's room holding it," Elizabeth whispered, feeling a few tears slide down her cheeks.

"What? How did that happen?" Rachel yelled.

"I wanted to surprise him, bought him a guitar, and I was just sitting here waiting on him, bored out of my mind, when my curiosity got the best of me, and I opened the crate. Rachel, what does this mean? He's been collecting our past for years! I have to find him. I have to..." She broke off, setting the painting down as she moved for the door. "Rachel, I've got to see..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the door to Lucky's room swung open violently, and Elizabeth dropped the phone.


	20. Chapter 19

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay; this Lucky recasting has had me conflicted all week long! I hope you enjoy this next chapter regardless.

**Chapter 19**

Lucky stood in the doorway, huffing and wide eyed. He had grown more anxious the longer he had been unable to find her. He'd been to her studio, the park, and Eli's, anywhere and everywhere he thought she'd be. He'd started at Kelly's actually and had been circling back here in vain hope when Mike caught him downstairs.

His mind had played out too many of his nightmares during the past hour to make him sane at this point. Here she was, standing in his room—the last place he'd expected to find her—looking as safe and as beautiful as he'd ever seen her.

Elizabeth came forward immediately. "Lucky? What's going on?" Something was horribly wrong by the look in his eyes. She momentarily forgot what she'd just seen.

Acting on impulse, Lucky pulled her tightly against him and kissed her. He poured his fear and his relief into the kiss. Holding her firmly in his embrace, Lucky let her know exactly how he felt. He loved her, and to hold on to his own sanity, he needed to make sure that nothing ever happened to her. Elizabeth slowly responded, coaxing him into knowing that she was safe, here with him. When his desperation seemed somewhat abated, Lucky pulled back to look in her eyes; his arms loosened slightly but did not release her.

Without a second thought, Elizabeth used the hand she had around his neck to bring his head back down to hers. She initiated this kiss, showing him what she'd been unwilling to admit moments before. She loved him and wanted to comfort him in any way she could. Lucky's arms slid around her, firmly lifting her off the ground to bring her closer. Walking a couple of steps into the room, he somehow managed to kick the door shut. The slamming of the door broke Elizabeth's concentration, and she pulled away. Lucky slowly slid her down to the ground. "That's a new talent, you've picked up," she said smirking.

Lucky tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you."

Elizabeth grew still in his arms, her smile quickly fading. Was she dreaming? Had Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr. just said the words she'd longed to hear for years? His eyes had grown wary at her lack of response, and he opened his mouth to apologize. Placing one hand gently across his mouth, she spoke instead, "I love you too."

Within seconds, Lucky was smiling cautiously, wanting to believe yet needing confirmation. "Really?"

"Kiss me and find out," Elizabeth answered coquettishly.

Lucky grinned back. Knowing now he had all the time in the world, he confidently cupped her face with one hand and anchoring her closer with another, Lucky slowly lowered his face to hers and stopped. She could feel his breath against her mouth, and when he spoke, she felt his whisper as much as heard it. "I didn't think you'd ever say those words to me again." Then, his lips met hers again. With this kiss, Lucky took his time, reacquainting himself with her, driving her insane with his slow methodical movements. When she whimpered a protest, Lucky responded by switching his attention to the delicate skin beneath her ear, walking her back towards the bed. The minute her back hit the guitar case Lucky drew back, breathing quickly. Taking a minute to regain his bearings and his sense of reason before making love to her right then, he noticed the foreign items in the room. "What's all this?"

Elizabeth shifted her shirt slightly as she replied, "I wanted to surprise you to thank you for the other night ..."

"Sweetie, I think I've been thanked enough." He broke in, grinning.

"Oh shut up! Not that I didn't ... Kissing you wasn't why I came here tonight. I have brownies and dinner and root beer as part of the thank you, but in fact," she paused, pulling the guitar case closer, "this was your gift."

Lucky moved over to the bed slowly and ran reverent hands over the top of the case. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Open it and see." Opening the case slowly, Lucky drew out the gift—a mahogany Martin guitar in pristine condition. Strumming the strings almost in awe, he looked over at her humbly. "I can't believe you bought me this."

"Well, you couldn't very well play my song without one, could you?" She replied. He smiled slightly, fingering the notes to "Elizabeth" slowly before transitioning into another song. As the melancholy chords filled the room, she mentally tried to place the song. When she did, she frowned. "No more Chris Cagle for you." After a short pause, she asked, "Lucky?"

He looked up from the guitar worriedly, sensing the change in her tone. "What is it?" Placing the guitar on the floor carefully, he slid over to take her hand.

Timidly, she looked up at him. "I found my paintings."

For the first time since entering the room, Lucky noticed the open crate at the side of the bed, his favorite piece lying on top. "I was waiting on the right moment to tell you," he admitted sheepishly.

"Why do you have them?"

"You don't know?" He responded, lifting her face gently so she could look into his eyes. "I have those pieces because they are the soul of the most talented person I know. Because those painting are our memories on canvas. I bought them because I love you, and I wanted to remind myself of all the reasons why."

Tears filled her eyes. "I needed you to say that. You've always understood that; you're the only one who understands that." Lucky gently wiped the tears away, tracing her face as he did it. Pulling her closer, he breathed a prayer of gratitude and relief. Sometimes he'd wondered if this day, this moment, would ever come. He planned to savor every second of it. Then, her stomach growled, and he couldn't help but laugh.

Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he pulled back and said, "I think I need to get some food into you."

She laughed. "I could be romantic and say that all I need is to stay here in your arms, but I'm starving."

Chuckling, Lucky stood and pulled her to her feet as well. "I'm not really in the mood to share you right now. Is it alright if we eat up here?"

"I was just getting ready to ask you that myself. Mike's got our dinner in the oven, or what may be left right now. If you'll run get it, I can cut the brownies and fill the glasses."

Lucky nodded and headed for the door. He made it halfway there before turning back to kiss her quickly. "I've got a lot of kisses to make up for." Elizabeth only laughed and pushed him toward the hallway. Once she heard him start down the steps, she moved to the dresser, smiling at her flushed face in the mirror.

Wait a second. What was that noise? Turning around, she noticed her cell phone buzzing on the floor. Picking it up, she was glad that it hadn't broken when she'd dropped it. Clicking it closed, she was immediately greeted with a ring. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth?! Are you okay? What happened?" Rachel asked frantically.

"Rachel, I've not been this okay in a long time." Elizabeth responded with a small giggle.

"What are you talking about? Dish girl," Rachel commanded, switching gears. Lucky came around the corner with his hands full. Taking one look at her face, he set down the plates and motioned for the phone. She gladly handed it over.

He glanced at the caller ID to confirm his suspicions before speaking, "Rachel, Elizabeth is a little preoccupied at the moment. I'm sure you'll hear from her first thing in the morning." With that, he pressed the end button and then the power button before setting the phone on the dresser.

"In the morning, huh?" Elizabeth said, sidling over to him. "You're awfully confident, aren't you?"

Lucky playfully tugged her into his arms. "Elizabeth, it's been four years. Don't think I plan on letting you out of my sight anytime soon." He sobered slightly.

She touched his cheek. "Hey, I was only kidding. I don't plan on being out of your sight anytime soon."

He smiled at that and released her to grab their food. "So, dinner ma'am?" Elizabeth giggled and nodded her head joining him on the floor. They spent the rest of the evening laughing, kissing, and just enjoying being near each other again without having to pretend. At one point, they moved to the bed to talk. Lucky pulled her close when she tried to fight off a yawn. "Sleepy?"

"Mmmm hmmm ... Lucky?"

"Yes Elizabeth?" He asked as she turned to look at him directly.

"The other night when you stayed and held me while I slept? I haven't slept that well in years. Do you think I could stay here tonight?"

"I wouldn't consider you doing anything else," he replied. A shadow fell over his features; it had happened several times during the evening. She wanted to ask what was worrying him, but he would tell her when he was ready and not a minute before. "You're going to need something to sleep in," he said, standing up and pulling open the dresser. He pulled out a t-shirt and sweat pants. "I'd give you a pair of my pants, but let's face it you'd fall right out of them." She only laughed at that, catching the t-shirt in mid-air while he headed for the bathroom down the hall.

Once he returned, she had already settled under the covers in bed. Lucky slid in beside her and turned off the lamp by his bed. Elizabeth snuggled closer to him with a sigh. "You know why else I want to stay tonight?" She asked playfully, not giving him a chance to answer. "This time I'll be able to kiss you back in the morning."

He flipped her over. "Elizabeth, were you only pretending to be asleep?" Her only answer was a mischievous giggle. Lucky growled a little as he closed the distance between them, making it impossible for her not to respond this time.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Elizabeth drifted back into consciousness wrapped up in Lucky's arms. Breathing in deeply, she snuggled closer while listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. She'd missed the safety of his embrace, the peace she found in his arms. Gazing up at Lucky, she realized there was only one reason to leave him, and she wanted it completed. Besides, she could pick up breakfast on the way back and spend all day in bed with him. She sighed a little at that thought and moved to slip quietly out of the bed.

The arm around her waist tightened suddenly, pulling her firmly back towards him. Without opening his eyes, Lucky grumbled, "Where do you think you're going?"

The rumbly, sleepy tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and feeling her tremble, Lucky smiled. She was never going to win with this man. One look from those cobalt blues, one wolfish smirk, one innuendo laden phrase and she was done for. "I was thinking of getting us breakfast."

"Not hungry ... for food at least," he replied, pulling her closer for a kiss.

"Lucky," she pouted. "I want to be able to focus solely on you." She was interrupted by a kiss on her jaw. "And let everyone know that I'm in love with you." Another kiss, this time by her earlobe." And you're in love with me." Interrupted again, further down. "But to do that I have to break up with Andrew." Lucky froze. His eyes grew solemn, and he tightened his hold on her. "Lucky? What's wrong?"

"You aren't going without me."

Elizabeth grew even more concerned. "I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, I don't want to rub it in Andrew's face that I'm breaking up with him to be with you."

Lucky pulled her closer still, sighing deeply. She needed to know this; he knew that she did. It was important that she had all the information. He didn't want to keep anything like this from her, and yet ... he couldn't stand the thought of hurting her. If there was any way he could keep this from causing her any pain, any grief, he would. Because she was going to feel stupid and vulnerable and angry and horrified at the same time. There was nothing he could do to save her those feelings, and that thought alone was causing him almost physical pain. He had wanted to hold the information back from her for just a little longer, but there was definitely no way in hell he was going to let her be alone with that creep. "Remember how yesterday I was so upset when I found you?"

"Uh huh." She'd grown quiet, sensing his turmoil.

"Lisbeth" He squeezed her closer for a moment. "Whatever I tell you in the next couple of minutes, I need you to know that I love you and I'm never leaving your side again, okay?"

"Lucky, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

Lucky ran a hand over his face roughly. "There was something about Andrew that didn't sit well with me. There was something about the way he touched you, the way he looked at you that was too possessive, like he owned you and he was out to let everyone else know it. It wasn't right. I couldn't stand the idea that he might hurt you, so I had my partner Ryan investigate him...."

"What?" Elizabeth exclaimed sitting up and staring at him in shock.

Lucky quickly sat up as well, facing her. "I had to! If I couldn't protect you, I had to make sure that he would. I had to know that you would be happy, that you would be okay, that you would be more than okay."

"What does this have to do with you going with me today?"

"Yesterday, Ryan called me. He found something in Andrew's past." Lucky took her hands then, making sure she could see the love, the concern, in his eyes before continuing. "Ryan's double-checking what he found with ... the people involved, but Elizabeth ... Andrew raped his ex-girlfriend."

She drew back in shock. "Lucky, that can't be right. Ryan must be wrong. Someone misunderstood. Andrew wouldn't do anything like that." Even as she said it, the truth began to sink in. Lucky wouldn't lie about something like this. Other people might be mistaken, but Lucky wouldn't tell her something like this without knowing for sure.

"Elizabeth, Ryan found some unfiled charges from an Emma Rosing. She was Andrew's girlfriend in Philadelphia. Ryan's flying up there today to follow up with her. I don't have all the specifics, but if you want, I can call Ryan and you can speak to him personally," Lucky responded in an understanding tone.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I trust you Lucky. If you think he did this, then that means he must have." Her words faded out to a whisper as the truth hit her. She'd been dating a rapist. He'd raped his last girlfriend. How much longer would he have put up with her before...?

Lucky watched her defenses fall. Her eyes filled with tears, and she visibly crumbled before him. Reaching out gently, he pulled her into his lap and let her absorb what he had just told her–that her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend was a rapist. After a time, he spoke again, "I looked for you for hours yesterday. Frantically hoping I would find you before ... I never imagined you were here, safe." He debated on whether or not to continue, knowing she was having to process a lot of information right now. "I can't let you go break up with him alone. I didn't get to you fast enough the.... I can't fail you like that again." Elizabeth only nodded, clearly spent and overwhelmed by the bomb he'd just dropped. Lucky dropped a kiss on her forehead, holding her close. For several moments neither one said anything. Lucky rested in the fact that Elizabeth was okay and he'd make sure she stayed that way.

Elizabeth's thoughts had begun to spiral depressingly until she felt Lucky's soft kiss on her temple. Lucky loved her. He'd watched out for her for the last several months. He'd loved her for years. That was all that mattered. She should just take this information about Andrew, and thank the stars above that she was okay. She was breaking things off with him anyway. Elizabeth sighed and looked up into Lucky's gaze. This man in front of her– he was all that mattered. As long as she was with him, her world was fine. "I love you," she whispered quietly.

"I love you too," he replied before leaning down to kiss her gently. "You going to be okay?"

Elizabeth forced a smile. "Uh huh. I've got you, don't I? I have a lot to be grateful for." She slid out of his arms. "I think we made enough of a mess last night, don't you?" She quickly began picking up their discarded dinner dishes and setting them by the door.

Lucky sighed and slid out of bed as well. She was avoiding dealing with her emotions; he knew that well enough. Thankfully, he didn't plan to let her out of his sight long enough for her to deal with them alone. If she needed space, he could give her that. When she was ready to talk about what she was feeling, he would be there. "Why don't you freshen up in the bathroom down the hall, and I'll carry this stuff downstairs?" He said, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a tube of toothpaste and a washcloth.

"Are you implying that my breath stinks, Spencer?" Elizabeth asked with a grin as she took both items from him.

Lucky dipped his head down for a quick kiss. "Nope. Just being helpful. Now go get ready to leave. Once we deal with your unfinished business, we should take advantage of how beautiful it is outside." A playful "yes sir" was her only answer as she made her way out the door. Lucky quickly gathered up the dishes and glasses and piled them in the cooler. He'd carry it downstairs to Mike on their way out. He swiftly pulled on a pair of jeans and a knit shirt. Turning from the closet, he spotted his shoulder holster slung over the arm of the chair by the door. He almost gave into the temptation to strap it on, but that would only make Elizabeth more nervous, which was the last thing he wanted. Besides, it wasn't like Haydn would try anything while they were in the hospital, nothing Lucky couldn't handle anyway.

Elizabeth came back into the room then and walked slowly over into his arms. "I've missed this. Even though I didn't know what this was; something in me missed walking into your bedroom and seeing you barefoot and disheveled."

Lucky's only response was to smirk before leaning over once more. The moment his lips met hers, Elizabeth's arms slid up around his neck. Lucky pulled her close, firmly and yet reverently. Here was peace.


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: A quick shout-out to JluckyJ for adding this story to her "Favorite Stories" list. Thank you also to everyone who is reading so faithfully. Let me know what you guys think, okay? :)

**Chapter 21**

Elizabeth froze outside the doors to the hospital's administrative floor. "I don't want to do this."

Lucky sighed. He didn't like this idea anymore than she did, but someone had to break up with Andrew. He had half-jokingly suggested he do it, but Elizabeth's only response had been to frown and shake her head. Regardless of the situation, she wanted to do the right thing, and that was for her to break up with Andrew in person. At least that's what she'd been telling herself and Lucky. He opened his mouth to respond when she turned to face him.

"I have to do this. I just don't want to." Lucky gathered her close, and Elizabeth fell into his arms naturally. Her arms tightened around his waist. "You are going to be just inside these doors, right?" She whispered nervously.

"I'm going to be right outside his door."

Elizabeth pulled back in shock. "Lucky ... I don't know that..."

Lucky's fingers fell across her lips as he interrupted her. "Non-negotiable. I already agreed not to go in the office with you. That's my offer."

Elizabeth nodded, realizing that as much as she needed to do this herself he needed to be there for the same reasons. "Okay, let's get this over with so you can take me to the beach this afternoon."

"Elizabeth, it's November in New York. It'll be freezing."

"What? You can't keep me warm?" She smirked. "Besides it'll be beautiful. All deserted and the sky will be gray blue, and the waves'll be churning. Beautiful."

"Okay, okay. The beach it is then—after we get you some clothes and a jacket from your place." He said moving for the door.

Elizabeth didn't move with him, and her hand tugged him back. "Kiss me?" She asked, her doe eyes staring up at him in trust as she trembled slightly. Lucky responded immediately. Anything to keep her safe. Anything to make sure she always looked at him like that.

--------

She had convinced Lucky to wait down the hallway until she stepped inside Andrew's office. He'd reluctantly agreed. As she stood outside Andrew's door now poised to knock, she wished she hadn't. She needed to see Lucky's face just for a second. The women on the administration floor all appeared to be working, but she knew better. They were dying to ask who the hunk was and why she was holding hands with him and not her boyfriend. Oh well, they would all know soon enough. Taking a deep breath, she repeated her mental mantra one more time: 'You can do this. You are strong enough. He can't hurt you.' This time she added '... And Lucky's just down the hall.' She knocked.

"Come in."

Elizabeth took one more deep breath and turned the knob. "Andrew? Do you have a minute?"

Andrew looked up from his desk with a surprised smile until he saw her face. His grin quickly changed to a concerned frown. "For you? Anytime. What's going on?" He came around the desk and moved toward her, noticing but not understanding her sudden dodge for the chairs in front of his desk. She sat down before he could embrace her. Andrew slowly lowered himself down into the chair across from her. He reached over to take her trembling hand, and she jerked it away.

Elizabeth made herself look him in the eyes. The sooner she said the words, the sooner she could be in Lucky's arms again. "Andrew. I don't know how to tell you this, but ... wow, you always think you are going to know what to say in this moment. I mean I sat in front of the mirror this morning and ran the words over in my head. And now I'm looking at you, and it's just gone." She took a deep breath to try to slow down as her speech was becoming frazzled. She saw Andrew move as though he was going to reach for her again, and something in her snapped. The idea of him touching her now, now that she knew, sent the words careening carelessly out of her mouth. "It's over. With us, I mean. Wow that sounded awful!"

Andrew's eyes seemed to narrow for a moment before his posture relaxed again. The explosion she feared never came. "You mean that you want for us to break up?" He asked calmly.

"Yes."

"Liz, relax. Talk to me. What's going on?"

Elizabeth winced. He deserved to know; however, if he hadn't exploded yet, this would do it. "Andrew, I'm in love with someone else. And it's not fair for me to be seeing you when I'm thinking of him."

"You're in love with Lucky," he replied simply.

She was startled. He knew? He wasn't upset? "But? ... I'm sorry, what?"

Andrew chuckled and lowered his head. He spoke softly. "Liz, it's no surprise. You've been in love with him before. Obviously, once you forgave him, it was only a matter of time before ... well, I just knew."

Elizabeth was stunned. She'd prepared herself for a tirade, a tantrum, honestly—a monster. She didn't know how to respond to this calm, resigned man in front of her. She felt guilty and sorry for him; everything she hadn't expected. She tentatively reached a hand over to his chair.

This time it was him who shrugged away. "I hope he deserves you, Liz. I hope he does right by you this time."

"He will," Elizabeth assured. "I am sorry Andrew. You've never been anything but kind to me. You've been the perfect boyfriend."

"Just not the perfect boyfriend for you." Andrew interrupted; the pain in his eyes was mixed with anger for an instant, and then it was gone again. He stood and helped her to her feet. "Still friends?" She hesitated. "I promise to cut the guy some slack. No cracks or sarcastic remarks."

Elizabeth smiled despite the warning in her mind. How could this guy be a rapist? She knew he must be because Lucky had said he was. Yet, the man standing in front of her was responding with such grace and class she almost couldn't believe it. He was an enigma. She nodded in agreement and headed for the door.

"Liz?" He called out as her hand reached the handle, and she paused. "Thank you."

"For what?" At this point, her head was spinning with the dissonance in the situation.

"For opening up to me. Letting me take care of you. It was an honor." Elizabeth blushed and continued out the door.

--------

Lucky had been pacing five feet from that man's door for fifteen minutes now. If she didn't return in forty-nine seconds, he was going in regardless of what she had said. It was quiet. This unsettled him. Not that he wanted Andrew to rant and rave and get in her face, but the silence was almost eerie. He flew over to the door the moment it opened.

Elizabeth closed the door softly behind herself and looked up at Lucky confused. "I'm not sure what just happened."

Lucky tensed. What had just happened? What did she mean? He restrained himself from pushing her for an explanation immediately. Instead, he gently took her hand and led her towards the elevators. Elizabeth sighed and shifted closer as they walked. Once the doors to the elevator had closed, she leaned against him. "Elizabeth? What happened?" He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"He just accepted it. He wasn't surprised. He didn't ask why. He just nodded his head, wished US well, and accepted it."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Elizabeth turned in Lucky's arms to face him. "I mean exactly that. I told him I couldn't be with him anymore because I was in love with someone else. He nodded and said he knew I was in love with you. That was it. He just looked ... resigned." The doors opened, and they walked out of the elevator and towards the entrance. "Lucky?"

"Uh huh?"

"It didn't feel right. I mean it was just ... weird."

"I think so too." Lucky replied. Andrew's response had him puzzled as well. What was that man up to? No man took a break up calmly. Let alone a man with a violent past. Andrew's reaction didn't relieve Lucky's fears any, but he hadn't expected it to. He looked down at Elizabeth, her face distorted with worry. "But it's over," he said, pulling her closer. "Which means that I can do this in public now."

"Do wha…?" Elizabeth asked before Lucky's mouth interrupted her. She responded immediately. When he drew back a moment later, both were smiling.

"I've missed that." He said with a wink. "I think we should definitely practice that some more." He leaned in for a kiss, but Elizabeth laughingly pushed him away.

"But Lucky, I mean, we're in … in public. You can't just go around kissing me anytime you want to." Lucky's look told her he disagreed, and he leaned towards her again. "Come on, I thought you said you were going to take me to the beach."

Lucky sighed and pulled back. "Okay, let's go get you changed." He paused for a moment realizing what he'd just said. Winking again, he continued, "Hey! I like that idea, let's go." Elizabeth only laughed and let him lead her back to his car.


	23. Chapter 22

A/N: I know it's been forever since I've updated. Does it help at all to say that I was busy moving and starting a new job during the interim? Probably not. For those few who are reading, please enjoy this chapter, especially as the actual show has ruined everyone involved :

**Chapter 22**

Lucky leaned back further in the booth trying to figure out what had happened, how he'd been sidetracked. One moment, he had definite plans including Elizabeth, her studio, and no interruptions. And now, minutes later, he was sitting in a cramped booth at Eli's. Looking across the table, it all became clear. Nikolas and Emily had happened.

He had been leading Elizabeth to his car outside the hospital when the Cassadines had spotted them. Lucky grumbled under his breath. Not that he didn't love his brother and best friend, but he had been waiting years to be alone with Elizabeth again, and he would've appreciated them holding off for 48 hours to say the least. Maybe he'd just have to plan something special for a couple of days from now. By then, hopefully, news of their reunion would have died down.

Elizabeth laughed at something Emily had said while leaning back into his arms, one hand landing on his knee. "Hey, you with us?" She asked, tilting her head up to catch his gaze, eyes twinkling with joy and love.

He wanted to pull her closer and kiss her senseless. But there would be other moments for that. Hopefully. They wouldn't always be interrupted by something or someone ... surely. He sighed and settled for a kiss on her forehead. "Right here."

"I'm so glad you guys finally _talked _to each other," Emily said energetically. "Nikolas had to bodily restrain me from butting in myself!" Lucky nodded his thanks to his brother who was a bit more subdued about his brother's reunion.

"You're welcome. I told her you were going to have to do this on your own. Not to pry myself, but how did Andrew take the news?"

Elizabeth went still at the mention of Andrew, playing with the napkin in her hands. Lucky pulled her closer. "He was ... fine with the news."

Pulling out a couple of dollar bills, Lucky handed them to Elizabeth. "Why don't you ladies find us some dessert?" Elizabeth sighed in relief and kissed his cheek before sliding out of the booth and taking Emily with her. Once the girls were out of earshot, Lucky let his shoulders drop.

Watching Elizabeth and Emily peer into the glass dessert case, Nikolas looked back over at his brother. "What did I say?"

"Did I tell you that I was suspicious about Haydn?" Nikolas nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but Lucky beat him to it. "It wasn't jealousy. It was instinct. I asked Ryan to look into Haydn's past. He called me yesterday." Lucky paused to glance over at Elizabeth before making eye contact with Nikolas again. "Haydn raped his last girlfriend."

"What?"

"We aren't sure of the whole story because she didn't file any charges against him; Ryan's going to interview her himself. I had to tell Elizabeth this morning."

"Before or after you guys were honest with each other?" Nikolas asked, not sure which was a better option at this point.

"After. She was saying how she needed to go break up with him alone, and I could notlet her do that. It really shook her up." Lucky dropped his head, taking a deep breath. "For a moment, after Ryan told me, I was torn. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go tear that _scum_ limb from limb or find her, hold her, and never let go. If he'd hurt her...."

"But he didn't, Lucky. She's safe because of you. He didn't get a chance to hurt her."

"I just have to keep her safe. He took her news, breaking things off with him, too calmly. It was odd. I don't trust him." The rational side of his brain said that Haydn wouldn't chance any violence now. After Elizabeth had broken things off with him. In a town where she was loved. And dating a former FBI agent. Maybe he'd changed. Learned his lesson. The Spencer side of his brain knew better. Andrew Haydn was a loose cannon, and Lucky could only pray that he figured out Haydn's plan before he had a chance to put it into action.

"Is there anything I can do?" Nikolas asked, feeling guilty for bringing up Andrew and dragging his friends into this depressing conversation.

"Help me keep her safe without smothering her?" Lucky said looking over at Elizabeth.

--------

"Andrew raped an ex-girlfriend?!" Emily all but shrieked.

Elizabeth had to clamp a hand over her friend's mouth to avoid attracting attention. "Act like you're deciding between banana cream pie and chocolate chip cookies, or I won't finish telling you. Lucky's been tense enough about this situation without knowing how freaked out I am. I mean he does know I'm worried, but I don't want him to know how worried. He's too worked up already."

"Okay, I promise. No more outbursts," Emily said shaking her head and pointing at the strawberry shortcake instead.

"I don't know much else about it. Just the basics. That's all Lucky knew, but he promised that Ryan is still trying to figure out what happened and why she didn't press charges. I can't imagine why she didn't. He deserves to be behind bars for the rest of his life. I can't believe I was dating a rapist, Em. I mean how didn't I know? Shouldn't I have sensed some kind of danger? What if Lucky hadn't...."

Emily laid a hand on Elizabeth's arm. "But he did. And you're fine." Elizabeth nodded. "And you have Lucky. He loves you. He's not going to let anything happen to you."

Elizabeth glanced over at Lucky, deep in conversation with Nikolas. His fists were clenched under the booth. "It's not me that I'm worried about."

"Lucky'll be fine too. Now come on, I think we'd better take the chocolate cake back to the table before the guys realize we aren't really this indecisive." Elizabeth nodded and accepted two plates of cake before pasting on a smile and heading back over to their table.

When Elizabeth slid back into the booth, Lucky made a grab for both pieces of cake. "Hands off handsome," she said turning away from him to keep them away from him.

Lucky switched tactics by grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back against him. "Don't I get a piece?" Elizabeth just laughed and put a piece down in front of him. Lucky didn't let go of her but leaned over and whispered, "or I could just get some from you later." Lucky leaned back, looking satisfied as he got the reaction he wanted from her. She lifted a hand to her flushed face as Emily and Nikolas laughed from their side of the table. Emily opened her mouth to tease Elizabeth, but Lucky's cell phone rang cutting her off.

He glanced down to see who was calling him. When he recognized Ryan's number, he shot his friends an apologetic look. "I need to take this, it's Ryan," he said, by way of explanation, looking only at Elizabeth. She nodded and motioned him on. "Ryan, what did you find?"

"I can't find her Lucky."


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Lucky whistled as he pulled into a parking space. Grabbing the picnic basket and blankets, he decided that he'd have to make another trip for the candles and CDs. He had been right about everyone having an opinion on his and Elizabeth's relationship, and he could tell that even she was getting a little tired of being interrupted.

So, he decided that tonight was the perfect time to get away. He'd left her a note at her studio asking her to meet him here at 6:30. He had an hour and a half to set things up before she arrived. What had he done with that key? Lucky searched his pockets before finding the borrowed key in his back right one. He'd picked the one place no one would come looking for them. And though he had told Ryan his plans this morning, Ryan knew better than to interrupt them tonight.

He was still puzzled by Ryan not being able to find Emma Rosing. The cops in Philadelphia had some half-filed information but nothing current. The people that lived in Emma's neighborhood all remembered her and spoke with love about her, but no one could tell Ryan where she was at present. Except for one woman. She seemed to trust Ryan more than some others who thought they were protecting Emma from a stranger. This lady mentioned that Emma had left town with her boyfriend at the time, Caleb Smith. Ryan had done a little digging and found a Caleb Smith living in a small town south of Philadelphia. He was currently in the small town, checking to see if this Caleb knew anything about Emma who'd vanished from sight it seemed. Lucky shook his head as he set down the supplies.

Tonight he wasn't going to think about Andrew. Tonight was about Elizabeth and him getting a chance to be alone. A chance for him to begin making up for all the time that he'd missed.

With one more trip out to the mustang, he'd managed to gather everything he needed from the backseat. Shivering slightly as he hurried back to the building, Lucky hoped it would be warm enough tonight. It looked a little like snow, and somehow he hadn't figured heating into his plan. He smiled a little as it occurred to him that they'd just have to keep each other warm. He had no problems with that.

It didn't take him long to set up. The candles were placed but not lit yet. He didn't want to burn them down before she even arrived. Because it was chilly, he didn't worry about refrigerating the food. Not that he was really worried about it going bad. He'd bought the deli sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit, and brownies with this scenario in mind. Instead of sodas, he'd opted for a red wine that he knew she was fond of. Finally, Lucky slipped the first CD into the portable CD player he'd brought along, and sat down beside it.

An hour to go. He'd overestimated the time it would take him to do this. Now all he had to do was wait for her to arrive. He sat back with a smile and closed his eyes, thinking about how her face would light up when she saw what he'd done to transform this space.

--------

Elizabeth skipped a little as she made her way out of the building and to her car. She'd been looking forward to tonight all day long. She'd known something was up with Lucky over the past couple of days but hadn't been able to figure out exactly what until she'd spotted the note slid under her door this morning. Pulling her coat around her a little tighter, Elizabeth wondered again about the wisdom of her outfit, but she'd wanted to look her best. So, she'd chosen the flirty emerald green dress and heels. It'd taken her twice as long to get ready tonight because she'd painstakingly curled her hair before pinning it up loosely around her face. If Lucky was going to go to the trouble of setting up an evening alone like this, then she wanted him to know how much she loved the idea.

As she drove the short distance towards her destination, Elizabeth hummed a song as familiar as any song could be. As she pulled into the parking lot, she sighed. It looked exactly as she'd remembered. Pulling into the space beside Lucky's mustang, Elizabeth turned off the car and slid her gloves and scarf back on before running up the steps of the old church. Being at Mt. Hebron again brought back many good memories, and she was glad Lucky had chosen this place for their first official date. She pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside. Taking in the scene before her, she froze.

Candles were lit sporadically throughout the room giving it a haunting aura. The scene was supposed to be romantic, and yet it wasn't quite right. "Elizabeth, nice of you to join us," Andrew said, breaking the silence and stepping into view at the front of the church. "Lucky and I were beginning to worry about you."

Then she saw him. Lucky's hands were handcuffed behind his back and around one side of the pulpit. One eye was beginning to swell shut. Blood dripped from his mouth as he slumped forward favoring his right side. As his eyes met hers, she saw a fear and regret in his eyes that astounded her. He rasped at one word, and that was when she noticed the hand marks around his neck. "Run," he mouthed repeatedly. "RUN!"

Elizabeth did run but not in the direction he wanted her to. Without thought, she ran towards him already assessing his possible injuries. Even though she hadn't gone into medicine herself, she knew enough from conversations with her family to realize that Lucky had a couple of broken ribs at best and some internal bleeding at worst with the way he kept trying to lean forward protectively to breathe air into his lungs. His vocal chords might've been damaged by...

Andrew grabbed her around the waist, one foot away from Lucky. She fought his arms off screaming, "Let me go!" Dropping her purse, she hit at any part of his body she could reach. "Lucky! Why? . . .What's going on? Let go of me! Lucky!!"

Andrew chuckled and took another step back from Lucky taking her with him before replying, "Look at what you caused, Lizzie. Lucky's in pretty bad shape because you couldn't control your feelings for him."

Lucky struggled to get free, pushing through his pain. "Let Elizabeth go," he spoke huskily. "Leave this between you and me." He pulled harder against the wood and cursed in pain.

"Careful Lucky. Wouldn't want you to aggravate any of those wounds. I mean one wrong move and those broken ribs could puncture some vital organ," Andrew replied sadistically as Elizabeth continued to push and scratch against him.

Catching Lucky's gaze, she read one message: "I love you. Get out." Unfortunately, she couldn't comply. She wasn't leaving him here at the mercy of Andrew Haydn. If she was getting out, then she'd be taking him with her. However, Andrew's next words stilled her fight.

"He's going to die because of you. We'll never be happy, you and I, as long as he's alive. Pity."

"No," Elizabeth whispered frantically. He couldn't kill Lucky. Shaking her head in horror, she realized he meant every word. And she was the only person who could stop it. Turning to face him, she steeled herself. "You'll have to kill me first."

Andrew coldly laughed. "That can be arranged as well. I'm hoping it won't come to that, and you'll decide to cooperate, but I prepared for that option as well." He ran a hand down her cheek lightly, and Elizabeth spat in Andrew's face. He sneered and ripped off her coat. "Look at you. You certainly went all out for him, didn't you? I don't think you ever looked as beautiful as you do tonight. Look Lucky, doesn't she look nice for us?" Andrew ran a hand down her throat and shoulder. Lucky made a lunge for Andrew and cursed again at the pain running through his body.

Elizabeth choked out a sob at the agony he was in. "Lucky, don't!"

"Isn't this such a fairy tale portrait? Neither one of you cares anything about yourself; you just want to save the other one." He pulled Elizabeth roughly against him. "I'll have to change that."


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"You know, Elizabeth, I'm really very hurt that you never told me about Tom Baker," Andrew said casually. "You were all alone because Lucky here wanted to take your sister to the dance instead, right? That was a bad decision on his part. I mean if only he'd taken you.... Isn't life funny that way?"

"You don't know anything about my past. Lucky saved me." Elizabeth spat, struggling against him.

"Is that how you see it? You wouldn't have been in the park had it not been for him that evening. Well, he did come looking for you, didn't he? Too bad he was too late."

"You'll never be half the man that Lucky is," she said, freeing one hand to slap him.

Andrew went deathly still. "That was a mistake." Without warning, his fist sent her reeling backward. Elizabeth covered her face with a trembling hand, determined not to give way to fear and stared him down wordlessly.

The rage building up in Lucky overrode his pain. Struggling against the pulpit, he managed to drag it with him towards the pair. "Is that what makes you feel like a man? Terrorizing a woman? Can't fight me fairly so you're going to go after her?"

"Listen to our hero," Andrew said mockingly. "Sacrificing himself so you don't get any more hurt. Now that's true love." Andrew violently grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and pulled her over to one of the upholstered chairs he'd obviously dragged down from the stage. It took him mere minutes to overpower her and tie her to the chair.

Casually he walked over to a black bag in the corner, pulling out both a taser and a pistol. "Lucky, Lucky, Lucky. I can see I underestimated you. I won't do it again," he replied coldly before pistol-whipping Lucky. Elizabeth cried out in fear. "I could taser you again, but then you'd be unable to witness what I'm going to do to her."

Lucky resolutely looked up at Andrew before spitting on his feet. Andrew kicked Lucky in the ribs, and Lucky bit back a curse. "Shall I share my plan with her?" Andrew laughed before turning to face Elizabeth again. "You do know that Lucky's never forgiven himself for not getting there in time to save you, right? And really he shouldn't have. He's such a _noble_ man that I bet the only way he could get past it was to promise himself that he would never let it happen again." Andrew paused to look down at Lucky in disgust. "Unfortunately he has no control over that."

Elizabeth blocked out Andrew's voice, willing Lucky to meet her eyes. Clearly, he was in agony, struggling to hang onto consciousness. When he did raise his eyes to meet hers, she gasped at the regret and self-contempt that were present. "I love you," she whispered, and he mouthed it back.

Andrew grabbed Lucky's hair to raise Lucky's eyes to his own. Leaning closer, he whispered, "How do you think it's going to feel to be here and not be able to save her? Being feet away from her as she screams for you and all you can do is watch as I take her." Without waiting for a response, he used the butt of the gun to hit Lucky in the back of the head one last time.

Elizabeth felt the tears racing down her face as Andrew walked back over to her. The sight of Lucky beaten, slumped over, barely conscious almost broke her. Sucking back a sob, she told herself that now was not the time for that. If they were going to get out of here alive, she couldn't break now. She froze as Andrew wiped away her tears with one hand before sliding his fingers down to grasp her chin firmly. Leaning down over her, he kissed her harshly holding her face hostage as he pushed his way into her mouth. She bit down hard, causing him to draw back with a curse. Elizabeth stared at him defiantly.

"It's going to be like that, huh?" Andrew asked crisply. Fisting her hair in one of his hands, he leaned over again and kissed her again, this time using his other hand to grope her. He hadn't tied her feet, so she brought her right knee up swiftly, hitting her mark exactly. Andrew stumbled back, gasping for breath. Elizabeth struggled against her bonds, feeling them loosen slightly.

Andrew stalked back towards her angrily. Grabbing her hair again, he forced her face closer to his. "You're going to regret that." Reaching behind her with one hand, he released the main knot causing the ropes to come free behind her.

"Fight Elizabeth! Don't stop fighting him," Lucky groaned out from his spot behind them.

Elizabeth and Andrew struggled momentarily, but Andrew quickly gained the upper hand. Pinning her arms to her side with one hand, he pulled a couple of pins out of her hair and fingered the falling tendrils casually. "I'd really hoped that you would enjoy this as much as me." Suddenly, his hand slid out of her hair, and he used his free hand to aggressively pull her right leg up closer to him, bringing them both to the floor.

As she struggled beneath him, Andrew slid one hand up her dress, hitching it up towards her waist. He used his other hand to hold her wrists above her head. "This is going to hurt you more than it does me." He kissed her again, bruising her mouth with his own. Elizabeth continued to fight even as she felt his hand slid further up her hip towards her waist. Leaning into her ear, he whispered one phrase, "Not a word."

Elizabeth froze. But not for the reason he thought. She spotted the gun he'd dropped beside her before he'd untied her from the chair. It was just within reach if she could get him to let go of her hands.

Forcing herself to go still as his hand roamed her body, she closed her eyes and tried to appear compliant. If he thought for a moment that she was too afraid to fight him anymore, he would let go of her hands so he could better hold her. Just one moment that was all she'd need.

Lucky couldn't look away. His brain screamed at him to avert his eyes, and yet he couldn't. He wanted to tear his arms off if it meant stopping Haydn. He had promised himself that she would never have to face this again, and having to watch it happen without being able to get to her was his worst nightmare come alive. Because he knew how deeply this affected her, would affect her. He didn't have the energy to struggle, forcing himself to breathe normally took almost all of his concentration. He froze at the same moment she did. What had Andrew said? Why did she stop fighting? Internally, he screamed for her to fight the bastard. She couldn't give up now. She had to fight! Lucky couldn't breathe. He felt his vision blur. His insides burn. Whether it was because of his injury or because of the feelings running through him, Lucky wasn't sure.

Tearing his eyes away as Andrew pulled off Elizabeth's nylons, Lucky saw it. His service revolver. It was laying to the side with his keys and jacket. Andrew might have planned some things well, but he hadn't counted on Lucky's ability to pick locks. Lucky's eyes widened as he noticed one of Elizabeth's hair pins just out of his reach. He remembered Andrew flinging a couple of them to the ground as he'd pulled Elizabeth's hair down.

Lucky wasn't sure what providence had caused this bobby pin to fall in its unlikely resting place, but he was grateful for it. Trying to bite back a groan, he slid his hands towards it slowly. If he could get the handcuffs open, he'd only need three seconds.

Working the pin into his right hand, he blinked the tears of pain away as he worked the lock. Meanwhile he debated the best plan of action, mapping out the possible outcomes. He prayed she wouldn't give up. He would get to her, somehow. Lucky knew well enough that he couldn't overpower Andrew right now, but if he could manage to get to his revolver without notice, he could get a shot off at least wounding Andrew without harm to Elizabeth.

Andrew let go of Elizabeth's wrists to unzip his pants, and Lucky felt the lock almost give way.

Elizabeth forced herself to lie still for one minute more even as her stomach rolled in revulsion. Opening her eyes, she saw it, as close as she remembered. She tensed for a second before shooting her hand out to grab it.

Everything went still for a moment.

And then a shot rang out in the silence.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

A shot rang out in the silence, and Elizabeth took advantage of Andrew's surprise to push him off her and roll away. Andrew turned as he felt the blood rush to his shoulder and pain tear through his left side. He didn't recognize the man shadowed in the doorway but didn't take the time to find out who it was. He lunged for the gun at his side.

"FBI. Freeze!"

Andrew was acting on pain and adrenaline not logic and raised his gun at the broad shouldered man taking a step forward. Andrew cocked the gun and fired. Two shots echoed in the building. One met its mark as Andrew fell.

Ryan didn't waste any time checking Andrew's pulse to make sure he was dead. Gwen raced in from the other entrance at that moment. He nodded in confirmation to her silent question before turning to face the pair in front of him.

Lucky slumped in relief, realizing that Andrew was no longer a threat. Elizabeth lay frozen near Andrew's body. Gwen slowly and softly made her way over to Elizabeth, touching her shoulder lightly. Elizabeth jumped a little before recognizing the woman kneeling in front of her. "Elizabeth. He's dead. He's not going to hurt you anymore." Elizabeth nodded, feeling the emotions she'd been pushing away crash over her in waves. She began to sob as Gwen wrapped a coat around her.

Normally, nothing shook Ryan. But then, he'd never witnessed a scene like this involving people he knew. His stomach churned, and he swallowed quickly before breathing deeply and walking over to his partner. "What hurts the most man?" he asked as he knelt behind Lucky, unlocking the handcuffs and slowly lowering his partner to the ground.

"Elizabeth."

"She'll be okay. Gwen's with her right now. I'm concerned about your injuries." Lucky moved to sit up, but Ryan pushed him back down. "Stay where you are Lucky. You're in no condition to be moving around right now."

Lucky sighed and relaxed against his partner's hold. He just needed to look in her eyes. He needed to see her. Just to reassure himself that she would be okay. Ryan called out to Gwen, motioning to bring Elizabeth closer to Lucky, and she nodded. They only had a moment or two before paramedics would flood the scene. Hopefully a moment would be enough for both Elizabeth and Lucky before they were separated by medical personnel.

Gwen helped Elizabeth move over to kneel on the other side of Lucky. Elizabeth reached a tentative hand out to touch Lucky's face even as she sobbed. "Oh, Lucky." She resisted the urge to fall into his arms, knowing that would cause him more pain.

He turned into her touch. "You okay?"

She nodded, even though she wasn't. "I love you Lucky."

"I love you too," he whispered before losing the fight to stay conscious.

--------

Elizabeth sat beside Lucky's bed, holding his hand. The minute Bobbie had finished examining her and Gwen had finished taking her statement, she'd raced for his room. Both women understood that being with him would help Elizabeth more than anything they could offer. Physically, she would be okay. Her bruises would heal and be gone in a couple of days. Emotionally, well that would take time.

Lucky's prognosis wasn't as good. Monica had briefed her and Ryan on his condition shortly after surgery. He had been bleeding internally, and so the doctors had to perform surgery to reset his ribs before they did any other damage. The taser had also left a deep burn on his back. Monica had said that they would keep him on a high dosage of morphine because of the injuries on both his chest and back.

Elizabeth just wanted to see him open his eyes, so she would know he was going to be okay. Ryan had left them to handle some paperwork and talk with the other officers currently canvassing the church. Gwen had the responsibility of calling their relatives.

Elizabeth was startled out of her thoughts by a slight tug on her hand. She looked over to see Lucky smiling at her. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" she asked, needing to be closer to him and so slipping over to sit on the side of his bed. Lucky held her hand in both of his.

"I'm not feeling much of anything right now. I think that's a good thing," he said, trying not to move too much. "What happened?"

"The doctors had to operate. You were bleeding because of your broken ribs." She brushed away a couple of tears, but they were just replaced by more. "You're going to have to stay in the hospital for a little while, but they said you'll be okay."

Lucky stroked her hand. "Hey, I'm fine."

"Lucky, if he'd....if you weren't...." She began to sob in relief.

Lucky tenderly pulled her down into his arms. "He can't hurt you anymore. He can't hurt us anymore." Elizabeth nodded and slipped her arms around his neck lightly. Lucky touched her face gently. Elizabeth looked up meeting his eyes. "I'm thankful you're okay. I couldn't handle it if you weren't." He paused, weighing his next words. Part of him wanted to reprimand her for not listening to him and getting out while she had the chance. Another side of him was more proud of her than he'd ever been.

She'd not been shaken by Haydn. She'd stood her ground and fought him every step of the way. Lucky had realized what she had planned when he'd seen her eyes open and look at that gun. It had stopped him cold. If she'd grabbed for it . . . The possibilities haunted him. He opened his mouth to elaborate but was interrupted by Ryan walking into the room.

"How are you feeling, Partner?" Ryan asked in his southern drawl.

"Fairly doped up on painkillers right now. I sure am glad you showed up when you did. How did that happen?" Lucky asked, fighting the urge to push himself up into a sitting position.

"I don't think this is the time to go over any of that." Ryan responded as Elizabeth moved to sit up herself. Lucky tugged her back towards him.

"You know I'll get it out of someone else if you don't tell me. I want to know everything," Lucky replied firmly.

Ryan sighed in disgust but complied. "I found Emma Rosing, now Smith, in that little town I'd told you about. She married a man named Caleb Smith shortly after leaving Philadelphia a year ago. Once I heard their story, I tried your cell phone but couldn't raise you or Gwen. So I flew out here as quickly as I could. Turns out that Caleb was Emma's ex-boyfriend. They'd broken up because he moved to take another job; he didn't ask Emma to come along, and so she ended it. She'd been dating Andrew a couple of months when Caleb returned to town. Evidently, Caleb had realized what an idiot he was and so came back to town to try and make things right with Emma. He did, and she broke things off with Andrew. That's when Andrew lost it. Once I heard what he did, I knew you guys were playing into his past with incredible similarity."

"What did Hadyn do to them once Emma ended her relationship with him?"

"Evidently, his dad is a very influential man in Philadelphia. Andrew convinced Emma to meet him alone; he told her he would have Caleb blackballed in town if she didn't come. Emma went reluctantly but told a friend what she was doing. The minute she walked out the door, that friend called Caleb and let him know what was going on." Ryan paused, remembering the pain still ravaging Emma's eyes at what happened next. "Andrew tried to convince her that he was the better choice and that she should be with him, but Emma wouldn't be swayed. Evidently that sent him over the edge, and he decided to force himself on her. Caleb showed up to stop him, and Andrew shot Caleb. But the thing is Andrew didn't shoot to kill. He only injured Caleb. On purpose." Ryan swallowed a curse at the thought and continued on. "He wanted Caleb to see him rape Emma. Caleb couldn't get to Emma, but he did manage to call 911. They arrived in time to arrest Andrew. They didn't arrive in time to stop him. As the police were taking him away, Andrew screamed at Caleb that he should've taken care of him first." Ryan stopped long enough to take a deep breath. "When Caleb told me that, I remembered what Gwen had said about hearing him say that you were just like Caleb. I knew he would come after you first this time. He'd want to incapacitate you as much as possible. I was going insane that you weren't picking up your phone."

Lucky groaned. "I left it at the station this morning. I've tried to have it with me all the time since I knew you would be checking in, but I didn't realize that I'd left it there until I got to the church and then it was too late to go back and get it."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll save the reprimand for another time. Anyway, once I got into town, I went straight to the police department and found Gwen. I'd pieced together where I thought you would be. She knew where the church was, so we called in some back up just in case and headed out to Mt. Hebron."

Elizabeth interrupted. "Ryan, why didn't Emma and Caleb file charges?"

"Like I said Andrew's father is a powerful man. He bought off the arresting officers and convinced Emma and Caleb that he would make sure they had no peace unless they dropped the charges and faded away. To be honest, I think they didn't fight Andrew or his father because Emma was just slipping further into depression at the thought of a trial. She couldn't stand the idea of Andrew getting off because of his father's money. So Caleb took her away. They got married and are trying to build a new life." Ryan didn't tell Elizabeth that Emma looked as haunted today as she probably had that night, but he knew that Lucky saw it in his eyes.

Lucky absentmindedly ran up a hand up and down Elizabeth's arm as he thought of the pain Haydn had inflicted with his father's help. It was a good thing the bastard was dead, or Lucky would be hard pressed to keep from killing him.

"Do you feel like telling me what happened on your end before I got there? I've read the statement that Elizabeth gave Gwen, but none of us know what happened before she got there."

Elizabeth sensed what Lucky would say and beat him to the punch. "If you don't tell me, then I'll read the statement myself later." He began to protest. "I need to hear this Lucky. No protecting me from what he did to you."

Lucky huffed and reluctantly began. "I'll give you the basics. I want to be able to reconstruct it better in my head before giving an official statement." He paused and Ryan nodded in understanding. "I'd let my guard down thinking of course that no one would know where we were but me and Elizabeth. I was focused on getting the church set up for her arrival. I was overconfident, and he took advantage of that. I didn't hear him coming up behind me; all I remember is a blinding pain before I passed out." The self-derision in Lucky's tone was undeniable. "When I woke back up, I was handcuffed to that pulpit. He was waving the cattle prod in my face. He'd evidently been planning something for awhile, but what pushed him over the edge was hearing that I'd been investigating him. Evidently his dad still has some contacts with the police up there." Lucky clenched his fist at that memory. "He'd done some research of his own. Somehow he tracked down a couple of men that worked for Sonny when I was living above the bike shop. They happened to be the ones following me back then, and they both knew about Mt. Hebron. Andrew loved throwing that information in my face." He huffed in frustration, knowing that he should've been more vigilant. "He knew about Tom Baker too. He knew everything about that time in our lives, and he made sure to pick through it piece by piece. He poked into some sore spots I have about that time, and I lost my self-control. I let him see my rage. That's when he broke my ribs." Elizabeth stilled at his side, and Lucky determined to get the next details out as quickly as possibly. "While he was working me over, he made sure to go over every detail of what he was going to do to Elizabeth once she arrived. That's basically the point where she walked in the door." Lucky sighed and pulled her closer, knowing that she was safe. She'd been stronger than Andrew. She was the one Haydn had underestimated.

"I wish we could throw the book at him. Make him rot in prison for what he did to you two. But at least he won't get the chance to buy off anyone else. Or wreak any more havoc," Ryan replied through clenched teeth of his own. If Hadyn wasn't dead, Ryan would line up behind Caleb and Lucky to kill him. "I'm going to let you two spend some time together and rest. I'll call the Smiths and let them know what happened. Check in on you in the morning?"

"I'll be ready first thing to make a statement," Lucky answered with a nod. Ryan stood to leave. "Ry?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I didn't like either one of the options we were left with to stop him; I'm glad you showed up when you did."

Ryan understood exactly what Lucky meant, and his eyes grew solemn for a moment. Then he smiled. "Hey, you're my partner. Besides, it's kinda hard to convince you to move back to Texas if I don't stay on your good side."

Lucky chuckled a little, forgetting that would aggravate his side. He abruptly stopped at the twinge he felt and nodded once more at Ryan before turning his attention to Elizabeth.

She sat up and squared her shoulders. She didn't want to leave, but she wasn't sure that Lucky would get any sleep if she stayed. He'd be too worried about her; maybe if she left, he'd sleep at some point. It was basically a lost cause for her anyway. At least this way, one of them would rest tonight. "Okay, I guess I should go. You need to rest, and visiting hours are almost over. I'll come back first thing in the morning?"

"No deal," Lucky replied, keeping a firm grip on her hand. "I won't get any sleep unless you stay here with me tonight."

"Lucky, you won't get any sleep if I stay here. This bed isn't exactly made for two, and I could hurt you if I stay."

"Elizabeth, I know it's selfish, but I don't want you out of my sight right now. I won't have any peace if you aren't beside me."

"The doctors won't let me stay."

"I'd like to see them try to kick you out," Lucky responded resolutely. "I will be anything but a model patient if they try to make you leave." He could see that she was beginning to cave. It was true that he wouldn't rest well without her. That was mainly due to the fact that he knew she wouldn't sleep tonight without him, and he didn't see any reason why he should be forced to let her go tonight. "Stay with me, Lisbeth."

She couldn't refuse him. Not when he asked in that tone. She nodded and slipped back down into his arms gingerly. "You're sure?"

"I'll sleep better tonight than I ever did in Texas," Lucky replied, drawing her closer. He slowly drew a hand through her hair before leaning over to kiss her tenderly. Elizabeth sighed in contentment when he pulled away moments later. He was safe. He was going to be okay. They both were. Relaxing into his embrace, Elizabeth finally let the fatigue of the day catch up to her and within minutes they were both sound asleep - undisturbed by either hospital staff or mental turmoil the remainder of the night.


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**6 months later**_

Elizabeth smiled as she walked around the corner of the corridor and saw Lucky sitting in the waiting area. "What are you doing here?" she exclaimed happily. Lucky jumped up and drew her into his arms confidently.

"Well, I knew that your appointment with Dr. Winters was over at 4, so I figured I would just meet you here." Elizabeth leaned up to kiss him in gratitude at his thoughtfulness. He pulled her tighter to him. "How did it go today?"

"Good. She thought it was a great sign that I'm not having nightmares when I sleep alone anymore. Not that you've let me do too much of that," Elizabeth replied in a tone of mock annoyance. "Anyway, it's easier this time. I had more control with Andrew than with Tom. Did you have your appointment with Kevin this morning?"

Lucky nodded as he led them both to the elevators. As the doors opened and they stepped inside, he absentmindedly played with the ring on her left hand. They needed to get it sized more precisely. He'd remembered the right size picking it out, but it still moved around too much for his taste. It'd only been on her hand for two weeks now, and he didn't plan on it ever coming off again, especially because it was too big for her finger. "We need to make an appointment with the jeweler." He spoke out of his thoughts.

Elizabeth smiled down at their intertwined hands as only an engaged woman can do. "I'll make an appointment in the morning when I call the bakery."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you do? You know to free you up to paint?" Lucky asked with an innocent smile as he pulled her closer.

"Nothing doing Spencer. I'm perfectly fine doing all the planning with Gram. You just handle the honeymoon plans," Elizabeth replied, seeing right through him. She dodged out of his way as he tried to kiss her and pulled them both out of the elevator and towards the street smiling playfully all the way.

"Speaking of honeymoon locations," Lucky said with a wink as he opened the car door for her. "I'm thinking we might need to try out a couple before making a decision. I want to make sure we've researched them all thoroughly before making a final decision."

Elizabeth laughed as he pulled her close. "Lucky, this is no time to be taking off for parts unknown. We're planning a wedding. You just got off desk duty at the station. Be serious."

She didn't even get a chance to complete her sentence before Lucky pulled her closer with a roguish expression on his face. "I am serious. I happen to have the weekend off duty. Come on Miss Webber, what am I going to have to do to convince you to run away with a handsome devil like me?" Elizabeth giggled as he ended his question with a wink but didn't get a chance to respond as he kissed her hungrily, drawing her into his lap.

When she drew back moments later, breathing heavily, Lucky slid a hand slowly out of her hair and rested it on her waist. "Now, are you convinced or am I going to have to kiss you again?"

"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked with an enamored smile.

"New York," Lucky answered with a smirk as he kissed her one more time before moving her off his lap and over into the passenger seat. "That was easier than I thought. I was worried I was going to have to convince you on the way. That's why I went ahead and packed for us." He nodded at the two overnight bags in the backseat. "I wasn't going to take any chances on you changing your mind."

Elizabeth glanced at the backseat, and sure enough there were two small bags sitting on the leather seats. "You packed for me? It takes guts to pack for a trip you've not even asked a girl to go on. If I didn't love you so much...." she threatened with a smile, sliding over to sit beside him.

"Love you too Elizabeth," Lucky responded with a smile. He leaned over to kiss her quickly as he slid one arm around her shoulders and pulled out of the parking lot heading for the interstate. Finally, life was as it should be. Elizabeth loved him again. More than that, she trusted him again. And he would honor both of those realities. Lucky hit scan on the radio as Elizabeth lay her head on his shoulder, sighing in peace.

Moments later, Elizabeth shot up to stop the radio when a familiar melody filled the car and filtered out into the open air. Lucky chuckled. "Keith Urban? Do you really think I'm going to listen to country all the way to New York?"

Elizabeth rebuked him. "You can't tell me that you lived in Texas for four years and didn't come to appreciate country just a little. Besides, you were the one who knew how to play 'Miss Me Baby' on the guitar."

Lucky grimaced. "I blame it all on Ryan's influence. He's pure Texan, country music and all. That doesn't mean I stopped being a Spencer."

Elizabeth giggled at the boyish hurt in Lucky's tone and softened her reprimand with a kiss to his jawbone. "Just this one song. It always makes me think of you."

Lucky pulled her closer, humming unconsciously. And when he sang the last line softly, Elizabeth didn't even tease him.


End file.
